Would You Like to Turn Back Time?
by DeepSeaHeart
Summary: In 2024, 11 years after the members of former school idol group µ's have lost contact and drifted away from each other, the ex-leader Honoka Kousaka finds herself at another crossroads in life, and so decides to bring µ's together for a week at Maki's family house in Tokyo. After 11 years apart, how have the lives of µ's changed and how will their live change when they meet again?
1. After the End

Note: Obon is an annual Buddhist event in Japan that traditionally takes place in mid-August in Japan (though it's mid-July for select parts of Japan and internationally.) It's not required to take a holiday for Obon, though it's usually customary to do so.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: After the End**

 **The Phone Call**

Friday afternoon, June the 14th, 2024.

In the mild, cloudless Sapporo heat of June, a middle-aged woman with a blonde ponytail and a rolled-up blue flannel shirt stood in her garden watering a bed of purple lilies, humming an undefined tune to herself. Without a break, she continued improvising her hummed tune as she finished watering the lilies to move to the next bed of flowers - a row of blue hydrangeas. With perfect form, she moved delicately yet precisely between flowers and rows, a series of motions she had clearly mastered; she had the motion and grace of a dancer and the precision of an expert gardener, though for a florist, it was expected. It was her passion - her speciality lied in her ability to cultivate a garden full of flowers both domestic and exotic, using natural means to grow them in specific colours and even dabbling in crossbreeding. It was an elegant garden: tiers of flowers placed on a rock outline around the edges of the garden at the fences, a stone path leading through grass patches enclosing shingle patches enclosing bonsai trees, and a stone basin collecting the water from a bamboo fountain in the corner. This was her world; Eli Ayase's passion lied in horticulture and floristry.

Eli had just gotten to the hard work of carefully pruning the bonsai in the middle of the garden when she heard the phone ringing on the opposite end of the two-storey house through the crack in the ever so slightly open sliding doors.

"Nozomi, could you answer that? I've got my gardening gloves on." She shouted upwards to the open bedroom window on the top floor.

"Can't answer right now, honey", Nozomi replied from her room out the window, "I'm comfortable here in bed on my laptop. Can't you answer it?"

Eli smiled, sighed and slowly removed her gloves. She put down the shears and walked towards the source of the ringing - she was in no hurry to get to the phone; it was probably one of Nozomi's clients or associates, and if Nozomi wasn't feeling like walking to the phone then they could wait. The phone was still ringing by the time Eli got there, which was somewhat surprising. Most people would have hung up and maybe left a voicemail by now - whatever Nozomi's associate had to say could be serious. Eli picked up the phone; from the other end came a voice she would never have expected; a voice that sounded like sunlight.

"Hello? Nozomi?"

"Honoka...Honoka, is that you?"

"Oh, it's Eli! Hi! It is! Are you surprised to hear from me?"

Eli's eyes started to tear up, her hands started to tremble and her heartbeat sped up until she could both feel and hear it. She hadn't parted with Honoka on bad terms, but it was a shock to hear from someone so close after 11 years. That decade of mixed feelings had caught up: 3 years of guilt for not inviting any of them to the wedding, 11 years of regret for not keeping in touch with any of them, 11 years of sadness for not seeing her at all in that time, even chance meetings; a burst of those feelings in that moment was all it took to send it crashing over her like a wave, overwhelming her completely. Eli looked to the ground, clutched the phone to her chest and let out a few involuntary high-pitched sobs, barely holding together. After a sharp breath in and a sniffle, she regained her composure and put the phone back to her ear.

"...lo? Are you there?"

"Yes, Honoka, I'm still here. I'm so sorry for everything. I don't know why I kept in touch, I just..."

Eli started to fall apart again and put her hand over the mouthpiece.

"Sorry? For what? I'm just happy to talk to you after so long, so don't feel bad about it!" Honoka replied, without any regret or sorrow in her voice at all in her voice. After so long, she was carefree as ever.

A pair of arms wrapped around Eli's waist and a head rested on her shoulder, eyes towards the answering machine.

"Put it on loudspeaker", Nozomi said, "I want to speak to Honoka too." Eli obliged, and pressed the loudspeaker button on the machine.

"Is that you, Nozomi?" said Honoka.

"Hello, Honoka", Nozomi replied, "I'm glad to hear from you after so long. What's up? This is a surprise."

"Hey, Nozomi...!"

At the other end of the phone, Honoka cleared a throat and a faint, airy "hmm..." could be heard, as if she hadn't planned what to say at all, even on a call to someone she hadn't talked to in 11 years. Nozomi gave Eli a smile that said "She's the same old Honoka, isn't she?" and wiped the tears out of her eyes before holding Eli in her arms again.

A brief pause followed before Honoka breathed in.

"Well...I don't know how to say this, but I want to get µ's back together. Maki-ch...Maki's allowed me to let everyone to stay at her house in Tokyo for around a week in August, for the Obon festival holidays. I haven't seen anyone in...well, a long time, and I really wanted to see everyone! I know I should have done more myself, but...it didn't really occur to me until Dr Maki was in the news last week, ehehe...I just miss you guys. Is it something you're okay with?"

Eli and Nozomi looked at each other with expressions of surprise; though it was something they could definitely do, it seemed almost unreal to make a decision; whatever they said next would change something big, forever.

"Are we doing anything for Obon, Eli?" Nozomi asked.

"Not that I know of", Eli said, her voice and muscles almost steady now. "And wouldn't this be a fun way to spend it?"

"Oh, it would be very fun! So do we agree? I'm putting my vote forward for yes. It's only fate that we'd come together once more like this...it was in the cards, after all." Nozomi replied, her voice warm as the heat of a chochin lantern.

"We'll go." Eli decided.

Honoka gasped on the other end, and Eli and Nozomi could feel the smile she was probably radiating over the phone. "Thank you so much! Be sure to remember this: Um...August the 10th! Let's meet at Akihabara Station at 2pm!"

Nozomi noted it down swiftly on her smartphone, and kissed Eli on the cheek.

"Hang on, Honoka." Nozomi interjected.

"I want to meet you first myself, before we go stay at Maki's house. Well, we want to meet you first, don't you agree, Eli?"

"Definitely!" Eli said, looking at the calendar on the wall above the phone. "How about..." Eli hesitated as she took her reading glasses from the desk, put them on and hovered her hand over the last few days of June on the calendar, pen in hand, before Nozomi took hold of her hand and moved it towards the 22nd.

"The 22nd of June at Kanda Myojin Shrine, at 1pm." Nozomi said, letting go of Eli's hand to let her mark the date herself.

"So it's done", Eli said, sniffling once more. "We meet at Kanda Myojin Shrine at 1pm on the 22nd. I'm so happy to hear from you again, Honoka. I'll see you then."

"It was nice to talk! I'll see you later, Honoka." Nozomi added.

"Ah! Thank you! I'll see you then!" Honoka replied.

Nozomi put the phone down for Eli and put both her hands on Eli's shoulders, looking her in the eyes. "Why so sad? You were crying, but I didn't hear her say anything that might make you feel that way."

Eli laughed sheepishly and looked down, to the side. "Ah...I guess I was just overwhelmed to hear from someone after 11 years...do you think we should have invited them to the wedding?"

* * *

 **Maki Nishikino, Doctor**

Monday evening, June the 10th.

Bright red medium-long hair tied in a bun, a lone woman exited the clinic, having finished work for the day. She rifled through her shoulder purse for something and pulled out a bottle of water, uncapping it to take a sip from it before recapping it and putting it in her purse again. Work at an eye clinic rarely ever got truly intense or interesting for her; as expected, it was just, well...another day of checking up on people's eyes. Myopia and cataract referrals were most of today's work; it wasn't a busy life, but until she inherited her parents' hospital back in Tokyo, this was a comfortable living for Maki Nishikino, PhD.

Bottle of water back in purse, purse closed, Maki looked back up to see bright blue eyes and cascading orange hair staring back at her with a sunbeam expression.

"Hello, Maki! I hope this isn't a bad time!"

Maki froze for a solid five seconds with her hand on her purse strap, 50% sure she was seeing a ghost. She wasn't intent on becoming one of her own patients any time soon, but she wasn't particularly believing her eyes either.

"H-Honoka?"

Honoka's face sunk for a moment, realising that she had, in fact, chosen a bad time. She also realised that she was in Kyoto and probably couldn't reschedule something that had taken an hours-long journey, and so soldiered on - she had intended on meeting Maki in person.

"Ah...Sorry for startling you, ehehe...I'm just happy to see you again, so I couldn't help smiling." Honoka said sheepishly.

"It's just that I saw you on the news a few days ago and it was really surprising. I didn't understand what they were talking about the news, it was something about a new medical technique, but I figured I'd drop by and see you." She continued.

Still receiving a stunned silence, Honoka talked even more in the hopes of a response: "Ah, um, well...I guess I also missed you a bit. I haven't done a good job keeping up with all of you a-"

"Honoka." Maki interrupted kindly but firmly, placing her hand on Honoka's lips lightly.

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad to see you too." Maki said, taking her hand off Honoka's lips and placing it back on the purse strap over her shoulder. "Come on, let's walk. What's on your mind?"

Honoka discreetly stared into Maki's eyes for a few seconds as she looked ahead to determine her route. The edge from her teenage years was gone; no expectation of a sudden rejection, no rude comment at the ready, no spiny mental exterior, no desire for Honoka to be gone. She'd had a full day of work, but she looked more like Maki's mother the last time Honoka met her. Her eyes seemed so kind to Honoka now...Maki was a new woman, and Honoka was doubly curious about her now.

"Uh-uhm, well, I just wanted to know how you've been getting on since, uhm...the last 10...years?" Honoka stammered.

"Ah, so you want to know what I've been doing." Maki observed from seemingly a thousand miles away, "Well, I'm a doctor with a PhD now. I went to university, and I got a job here...and then I'll inherit my family's hospital soon."

"I see..." Although Honoka was glad to get an answer, it wasn't really what she was hoping for; she wanted more.

"Have you seen anyone else?" Honoka asked, hopeful for updates on anyone else.

"Well...I do meet Umi for coffee every few years to catch up. The last time I saw her was around...2018, 2019? We're probably overdue."

Honoka still wasn't satisfied, given that she still lived in the same town as Umi and saw her on a regular basis anyway. She felt somewhat put out now, but reminded herself that she'd probably feel even worse if everyone else had been keeping contact without her.

"Just Umi? You haven't met anyone else?"

"I haven't, I'm afraid. I've been too busy most of the time to keep up with people."

Honoka looked up to the sky then back to Maki, lost in a moment of thought. "I wonder where they are, too...ah...I miss µ's."

"I'm sure we all miss µ's, Honoka. I should catch up with the rest of them myself...hmm..."

The new Maki was still a mystery to Honoka. She stared into Maki's royal purple eyes while she was distracted yet again to try to see something, but she couldn't. Maybe she didn't know Maki well enough anymore.

"Well, why can't we?" Said Honoka, bringing Maki back down to Earth.

Maki slowly came to a stop and noticed Honoka trying to stare into her soul again, wondering if Honoka had something on her mind that she was having trouble saying. Realising what was going on, Maki's eyes brightened up a little, the gears in her mind starting to turn again despite having come to a halt after the work day's close. Something about Honoka had made her feel alive again, like time had stopped around her, like she'd only just learned of the outside world all over again. Like she had a whole new world of decisions and possibilities. She wasn't sure if it was because Honoka had overwhelmed her or because Honoka had opened up her eyes to a world she'd forgotten, but Maki felt empowered; she hadn't felt this way since first joining µ's. What she said next didn't feel like her saying it, but she felt awakened:

"...If it's what you so well want, what if I brought all of you over to my home in Tokyo for the week for Obon? My parents will be away for that holiday. Come on, Honoka. You're so easy to read."

Honoka suppressed the urge to squeal, even the suppression of her reaction easily visible. "All of µ's?" She said. "All 9 of us again? I don't even know how to start! I'll be sure to see everyone again first!"

Honoka couldn't contain it anymore, and with a burst of excitement, she suddenly leapt at Maki for a full-throttle hug, pinning both her arms to her sides. Maki screamed for a moment before cutting herself off, startled by the unexpected move on Honoka's part.

"I'm so glad, thank you so so so much, Maki, thank you, thank you, thank you! How does August the 10th sound?"

Maki almost felt like laughing at the scare she'd just been given, and at the fact that Honoka was still the live wire she always was. "You can't let go of µ's, can you? That sounds good, Honoka."

In another unexpected move, Honoka took both of Maki's hands in hers and raised them midway into the air on level with their shoulders, still unable to contain her joy. "I won't let you down, I promise."

"Hey, this wasn't all my idea!" Maki blurted out, flustered. Honoka let go of her hands, realising she'd let herself get carried away.

"I'm sorry, Maki! I'll try not to get carried away like that again."

Maki simply looked at Honoka, still slightly shocked, unsure of how to react.

"Don't you worry, Maki. I've got this all under control."

"Faito dayo..." Maki murmured under her breath, laughing to herself; that was what Honoka always used to say when she'd commit to something.

Maki took a notepad out of a side pocket in her purse along with a pen, and hastily scribbled a series of digits on the top of the pad. She tore it out, and handed it to Honoka.

"Here's my number. Feel free to call me if you need anything...or even if you just want to talk. I'm free to talk on my mobile after 5pm on work days, and all day on the weekend and Thursday."

Honoka didn't even put it in her pocket, and simply entered the number into her phone with lightning speed and accuracy.

"Now for the other 7, right? Ehehe." Honoka joked, that same hopeful smile still on her face, and they walked onward.

* * *

 **(RinPana)**

Saturday morning, June the 15th.

In the pale blue of the Chiba-ken weekend morning, two women sat at a table outside of a café with a glass jug of coffee resting on the table. The seating area overlooked a popular area for morning walks, a green area directly across bisected by a stone path leading away from the cafe, past the green and into the streets, while the path leading parallel wound around the park at the edges.

One with short, smart orange hair, Rin Hoshizora, took a sip of her coffee and spoke.

"Is Yoshiro Sato in your class, Kayochin? I think he could really make it far. He's really good at basketball already, and he's amazing at baseball. Is he in your class?"  
The second woman with long light brown hair, Hanayo Koizumi, sat directly across from Rin Hoshizora with both hands clasped around her cup of coffee, listening very intently to what the other woman is saying.

"Ah, he isn't, I'm afraid...I'm an assistant teacher for the 3rd year children, and he isn't in the third year as far as I know. And anyway, I don't help out with P.E. lessons, only the ones in the classroom."

"Aw, that's a shame...what about Yuki Hoshida? Are you an assistant in her class?" Rin asked, taking another large sip of coffee before filling her cup again.

"Yes, I know Yuki-chan! She's adorable! I helped her out when her class was sewing little pillows...aww, it was the cutest thing ever! I wish you were there, Rin..." Hanayo exclaimed.

Rin stretched out her arms in the air. "Ahhhh, I see. She really loves it when we bring out the rainbow parachute for them. She is really adorable when she's having fun."

"Did you meet her parents as well?" Hanayo asked.

Rin cocked her head inquisitively. "I actually haven't, now that you mention it, Kayochin", she said as she went to top off her half-full cup of coffee, "They drop her off at the activity centre in the car with the money for the session, but I've never really seen them up close before."

Hanayo lowered Rin's arm gently. "I think that's enough coffee for now, Rin. You don't want heart problems, do you?"

"Awww, but I love coffee! Come on, Kayochin, just this cup more?" she complained, holding her arm in place.

"Fine...but just this last one. You're my best friend, Rin, and I don't want anything bad happening to you, okay?"

They smiled at each other, and Rin set down the glass jug of coffee gently, making the smallest of noises as it made contact with the table.

Hanayo took a chunk out of her red velvet cake with her fork. "Rin, would you like to try this cake instead? It's delicious!"

"Ahh, I'm sorry but no thank you, Kayochin. I'm not hungry right now." Rin replied, making a small "no, thank you" gesture with her hand.

Hanayo moved the fork closer to Rin's mouth. "Are you sure, Rin? I'm not sure if I can finish this much cake myself."

"Ahh...Kayochin, that cake looks so good...but I'm not hungry...but that cake looks so good..."

Rin trained both eyes on the cake like a precision laser, weighing her choices before her eyes, then snapped to her left and her head snapped ever so slightly to the left as well, her nose raising periodically as she sniffed, smelling...something.

"I smell bread, Kayochin. It's a very familiar bread, but I don't remember where it's from, and it's behind me." She whispered to Hanayo.

Rin slowly turned around and stood up, investigating the source of the smell; it was originating from a woman with long straight orange hair and a yellow headband. Her face was buried in a newspaper and she wasn't moving at all, as if she'd been found out. Slowly, the mystery woman started to turn around to see if she'd been rumbled, cautiously lowering her newspaper.

At the same time, their eyes met and they froze for a few seconds in some bizarre standoff, their faces showing pure curiosity.

They identified each other, and within that moment it felt like a new universe was born.

"Rin?"

"Honoka?"

After another pause, Rin was the first to draw.

"HONOKA!"

Rin launched at Honoka with the same crushing hug Honoka had given Maki days earlier.

"Hello, Honoka." Hanayo waved politely to Honoka from the end of the next table, seemingly unfazed by Honoka's sudden appearance after ten years. "Would you like to join us?"

"I would, thanks!" Honoka replied, taking a few deep, gasping breaths to recover before taking a chair from the table she was just sitting at to Rin and Hanayo's table, as well as her cup of tea.

As soon as Honoka sat down, Rin leaned over and inspected her from top to bottom intently; her clothes, her hair, her eyes and her personality all went under the microscope as Rin got so close to Honoka to look into her eyes that their noses touched, if only for a brief second or two.

"She thinks you smell of bread, Honoka." Hanayo remarked softly.

"Ehehe, sorry. I made some bread for the bakery this morning and put it all out in the window, so that's probably why." Honoka said, relaxing her shoulders as Rin finished her inspection.

"You smell wonderful, Honoka! I can also smell lots of other things, like red bean paste, and matcha...like a bakery..." Rin said, reconsidering if she was hungry or not, absentmindedly reaching for the coffee pot again.

"It's been a very long time. What can we do for you, Honoka?" Hanayo said, absentmindedly lifting Rin's hand away from the coffee pot and placing it back on the table. "Aww, okay. I'll get some hot chocolate then." Rin whined quietly, excusing herself from the table.

"Um, well...I think I'll wait until Rin comes back to explain properly, but I want everyone in µ's to meet again in the Obon holidays."

"You want to reunite µ's?!" Hanayo exclaimed. She felt her heartbeat double, unsure as to the meaning of what Honoka was trying, especially after so long. Her breaths became shallow and panicked, her body struggling with the shock: "You come back after none of us have talked for 10 years and you suddenly want to reunite the group?!"

Honoka felt her blood run cold; if Hanayo was mad at her, she could well give up here and now, as she was feeling particularly delicate right about now. "N-no! I just want everyone to meet up again and catch up, I swear!"

Hanayo relaxed herself and took a few deep breaths, unaware that she'd been that harsh, guilty that she'd unintentionally terrified Honoka. "Sorry, Honoka, I didn't mean to scare you, I'm so sorry! I didn't hear you properly."

"It's okay." Honoka said, hands no longer shaking. "It's just...I miss everyone. I saw Maki on the news and...I suddenly realised how much I missed everyone, and I realised how bad I felt that we never stayed in contact for long after you left school. I don't want to be a bother, but even if everyone has their own life right now, I want them to realise that there's nothing stopping them from meeting each other again."

"So you have another vision you want to make true", Hanayo replied, "You're just like before."

"Ehe. That's what Eli, Nozomi and Maki said."

Rin placed a cup of hot chocolate onto the table, sat down and pulled her chair in.

"That was fast! How did you get that hot chocolate so quickly, Rin?" Hanayo asked, to which Rin simply smiled ear-to-ear, tapped her nose and took a large gulp of hot chocolate.

Honoka continued: "Anyway, as I was saying, I want to get together everyone in µ's for a week starting in the Obon period. Maki offered to let us all stay at her family house in Tokyo, on the 10th of August. Everyone I've talked to so far has agreed to stay, and I was hoping that, uhm...that you two would come too."

Rin and Hanayo looked at each other for three seconds, conveying an entire conversation's worth of information. Honoka was unable to tell what it meant, but hoped it meant something good, and simply looked on.

"We'll do it!" Rin and Hanayo said in unison, decisively nodding their heads once. After a second's pause, Rin discreetly moved her hand over to the coffee pot and slowly and silently poured some coffee into her hot chocolate, unnoticed by Hanayo this time.

"We have no plans for Obon, so this sounds like great fun", Hanayo said, "And it'd be super fun to meet everyone else too!" Rin said, finishing her sentence.

"R-really?" Honoka found herself seemingly surprised by this; she wasn't sure why, but she felt like it would be a lot harder to get Rin and Hanayo on board with the idea. It all almost felt like it was too easy. She remembered what Nozomi said, that it was fate; Honoka wasn't one to question fate, even if it was one she'd created herself.

"Okay! I'm glad! I can't wa-"

"Rin!"

"What? What did I do?"

Hanayo held up the coffee pot to eye level, emptier than it was before Rin had gone to get hot chocolate. "I know what you're doing, Rin."

Rin smiled and looked down like a child who didn't know what to do while being scolded. "I guess you found out..."

Honoka couldn't help but laugh, even though she knew she shouldn't have been laughing; maybe she wasn't the only one who had stayed the same.

* * *

 **Belleville Rendezvous**

Sunday late night/early morning, June the 16th.

Bathed in the dim light of the lamp in the nearby corner, caressed by the Parisian summer night breeze coming from the open window on the other side of the apartment's living room, a delicate woman with her silvery brown hair in a single ponytail braid embroidered the night away, her tired eyes focused on the intricate patterns she stitched into the fabric; her hands were no longer in her control, but they continued to dive in and out of folds, over and under the fabric, back and forth around the outline of the white dress on the table. She felt like her body and herself were two separate entities, as if she were watching her physical body do the work from a few inches to the left. For a moment, she looked at a post-it note on the wall above the table; she didn't remember writing it, but there it was in her handwriting: "travail á 7h45 lundi". She knew what it meant, but...it didn't really register, and so she looked back down, the hands of Kotori Minami never having stopped working their magic.

Out of the blue, Kotori's smartphone rang, its vibration making a sharp noise against the table it rested on, causing Kotori to jump several inches out of her chair and narrowly miss slashing her own hand with her needle. She clutched her heart, slowly rested against her chair and sighed in both relief, recovery and exasperation, wondering why anyone would be calling her at this time, especially when they knew she had to get up early for work. Taking another few seconds to express her annoyance to nobody in particular by running her hands through her hair dramatically and sighing, Kotori finally tapped her phone to answer.

"Hello...?" She murmured sleepily.

" **Kotori!** " Came the response, so loudly it clipped, and Kotori nearly dropped her phone in shock again, fumbling around for a second before catching it and putting it back to her ear, her eyes wide open now.

"Don't shout, Honoka, she can hear you just fine." Said...someone on the other end, or so Kotori thought.

"Umi...?" Kotori asked the other end, her tired mind shifting gears to accommodate the change in language Kotori was expecting. She felt...something. She felt a vague burst of emotions that was probably overwhelming joy. She wasn't any wider awake, but she felt warm.

"No, it's me, Honoka!" the other end said. "Sorry if I shouted...I can't help it, ehehe..."

Kotori attempted to wake herself up a little to deal with the reappearance of someone a decade in her past, to limited success. She took a gulp of the lukewarm mug of coffee on her desk instead, hoping she was still in a state to talk.

"Ah, it's fine, Honoka...I'm just a little tired over here. I might sound tired, but I'm unbelievably happy to see you, I promise." Kotori almost murmured.

"She's tired...?" Honoka said to someone else, likely Umi.

"I told you it was late over there!" Another, more proper voice said in the background, scolding Honoka.

"Ah, I forgot about timezones, forgive me, Umi!"

Kotori sat there with a blank expression, waiting for the bickering to finish.

"Honoka, give me the phone." The voice in the background said.

"Ah-!"

A brief scrabbling followed by some unclear vocalisations came from the other end of the line before Umi's calming voice came in. Kotori was so happy to hear Umi's voice after so long; if she wasn't so intent on talking to the both of them, and if it wasn't rude to go to sleep mid-phone call, it was a voice Kotori could sleep to.

"I am so very sorry, Kotori. Honoka didn't think before calling you. It must be very late and you must be very tired, so we'll let you sleep. Honoka will call you later at a better time."

"No, please, stay on the line! I really want to talk to you both!" Kotori shouted, finally awake, her eyes welling up. "Please stay on the line."

Umi stayed on the line, shocked at the response - she couldn't understand why anybody would _want_ to be bothered so late.

"Do you want to switch to video chat?" Kotori continued, the tone in her voice hopeful for a yes.

"That would be wonderful, Kotori." Umi replied as Kotori took the phone from her ear and placed it in front of her face, taking the time to draw in her alpaca plushie closer.

Kotori tapped "Yes" on the video messaging request on her phone, and the feed turned on; she saw a waving Honoka with long straight orange hair, a yellow hairband, a somewhat tight-fitting orange shirt and high-voltage blue eyes, cute as ever, sitting on a sofa Kotori didn't recognise, and to the left was Umi, holding the phone at arm's length; she had the same blue hairstyle as before, but slightly neater and curling slightly inwards, as well as a sharp white business casual shirt with a collar. She looked almost like she'd dressed for the occasion...she looked beautiful. The both of them were a sight worth staying up for in Kotori's tired eyes...

Kotori was fatigued, and she'd just seen two of her favourite people in the world looking radiant in the Japanese morning; those distant emotions she'd felt a few minutes ago had come closer, and she welled up. Not out of any fear - tears of happiness.

Umi looked worried and Honoka looked surprised.

"Are you okay, Kotori?" Umi asked, Honoka leaning forward slightly. Umi moved the phone slightly away from Honoka instinctively, but only slightly.

"I'm fine, Umi!", Kotori replied, smiling reflexively and wiping away the tears that threatened to continue, "I'm just happy that I can see you both again."

Umi and Honoka smiled in response. "You look lovely with your alpaca plushie, Kotori", Umi said, Honoka nodding in response as she looked at Umi then back to the phone screen, "Where are you now?"

Kotori paused for a few seconds; she wasn't sure how to tell them she'd moved abroad, especially after last time in 2010.

"Um..."

"Well..."

"I live in Paris now." Umi and Honoka looked at each other in surprise, and made wordless sounds of wonder to each other and Kotori as they looked back to the phone screen, impressed rather than angry. Kotori sighed internally in relief and tried to forget her fear.

Honoka leaned towards the camera, her expression of wonder still present: "Paris? What do you do there? Do you ALL eat croissants for breakfast every day? Have you been to the Eiffel Tower?"

Kotori saw the image on her screen shake slightly with Umi's attempt to hide her incredulous laughter; it was such a Honoka question to be asking.

She knew they were stereotypical questions to ask, but Kotori couldn't deny it; she _had_ been to the Eiffel Tower, and she _did_ eat croissants often for breakfast (they were SO good when heated up with cheese and tomatoes.)

"Yes, I have been to the Eiffel Tower, I sometimes eat croissants and...I work in a café!" Kotori beamed as she sniffled again, silently praying she wasn't portraying a stereotypical image of France to Honoka.

Honoka and Umi noticed the white frills of the dress in the bottom of their screen and looked at each other once more, their silent message asking one question: A maid café, or a normal café? They both couldn't help but envision Legendary Maid Minalinsky in her frilly maid dress, serving Parisians with her idol's smile and her cute charm.

"What? What did I say?"

Umi's smile vanished suddenly and she turned to Honoka to try to stop her saying what she said: "A maid café? Or is it just a normal café?"

Kotori didn't seem embarrassed, to Umi's surprise. She simply adjusted her head slightly, moved it back and gave an answer - "A normal café! Umi, don't worry about it, I'm not embarrassed. I work in a Parisian café, and it's amazing! The food is wonderful..."

"What's that on your table, then?" Umi asked, pointing downwards.

"Oh, this?" Kotori brought up a fold delicately, careful not to disrupt the half-finished embroidery on the bottom. "I still like to work on clothes in my spare time. I'm embroidering a pattern in this one right now..."

Kotori yawned, and she realised how late it was. "Anyway, Honoka, what did you call for?"

Umi looked at Honoka in a silent go-ahead to explain, as Honoka looked back, cleared her throat and steeled her expression.

"Maki's let me invite everyone in µ's to her family home for a week in Tokyo for the Obon holidays. Do you want to come?"

Kotori nodded, accompanied by a second-long tired blink. "Even if I have to fly halfway across the world, it will be worth it to see you and the others again. You're coming too, right, Umi?"

Umi looked at Honoka, and Honoka looked back at her with a smile so wide she could only have been teasing Umi. Umi sighed. "I had no choice either way." Honoka poked Umi's cheek with a small "hey!" as Umi lightly swatted Honoka's hand away.

"But of course I want to come. There's no doubt about it. I can definitely take a week off."

Kotori yawned again, and took one last look at Umi and Honoka's eyes.

"I think we'll finally leave you to sleep, Kotori. You need some sleep right now." Umi said, noticing Kotori's red-rimmed eyes getting heavier and heavier.

"Goodnight, Kotori." Umi said. "Sleep well." Honoka added.

And with that, Kotori ended the call and set down her phone.

With the last of her energy, Kotori walked to the other side of the room to close the window and made her last few steps back towards the table. She moved the embroidering needle to a safer place on the dress, moved the dress to the side and finally, fell asleep at the table, arms tightly around her alpaca plushie, a content smile on her face, having been reunited with two of her favourite people.

* * *

 **NICO YAZAWA**

Tuesday afternoon, June the 11th.

Feeling invigorated after her last successful encounter, Honoka had spent many an hour searching for a very specific person online, and so had taken to the streets of Shibuya to hunt down someone she was very curious about: Super Idol Nico Yazawa.

Getting off the train, Honoka noticed that she was attracting just as many glances and stares as in Akihabara; she wasn't paying particular attention to who was looking, but she saw every glance in the corner of her eye, from every direction. She wondered if her influence as a former idol and co-manager of a long-running bakery extended even here, and wondered again if she was being naive as she tensed up slightly. Shibuya was bright lights and tourist attractions for a while, but past a certain point, the endless streak of daylight neon from arcades and shops trying to catch people's attention just...stopped. Past this point, there were no bright lights, nobody handing out flyers for their new shop, no shopping bag in the hand of every second person, and Honoka started to feel like a stranger in this city - this part of Shibuya didn't seem like it was trying to draw people in, no, it was like it was trying to warn them away.

Honoka felt like she'd reached a point of no return; it wasn't anywhere she'd expect to see a Yakuza presence, but it was no place for strangers.

She wasn't in Kansas anymore.

Holding her phone closer to her chest, taking it out of her pocket with as much sleight of hand as she could manage, Honoka checked the map on her phone again to make sure she was going in the right direction. The arrow on the maps app showed her in the right direction, and showed her exactly on the junction she was about to cross; this was the correct area, her phone said she had 500 metres to go, and Nico had poor judgement to have chosen to move into one of the worst places outside of Roppongi. Honoka took a discreet look behind her as she crossed the road and slipped her phone back into her jean pocket fast as a gunslinger holstering her revolver, speeding up her walking pace ever so slightly.

Honoka could see the building from a mile away; the building's plain shape was fairly identifiable in the neighbourhood's skyline alongside its clones dotted around the city. Constructed around the turn of the century, the apartment buildings stood at 15 storeys tall, though they had since eclipsed by the recently built Shibuya Stream tower block and the multitude of other skyscrapers constructed as part of the Shibuya regeneration scheme around the heart of Shibuya. Combined with the burst of regeneration in the area from the 2020 Olympics and the new disparity between the neighbourhood and the areas of Shibuya redeveloped and constructed to impress the world during the 2020 Olympics, this left only those with no money to move away, those forced out by the rise in rent in houses in the area, and those with little money, but enough to take advantage of the neighbourhood's lower prices.

She thought this neighbourhood looked ugly and grey compared to her own.

It was just that part of Shibuya, Honoka thought to herself...

A tense 500 metres later, Honoka arrived at the building; there was an intercom on the front door with a keypad, a button and a camera on the top of the panel, though the security was rendered useless by the rock wedged in the bottom of the door. Honoka took out a folded, crinkled piece of paper with Nico's address written on it. She looked at the apartment number, input it into the intercom and waited for 10 seconds.

No response. Honoka punched the numbers in again.

No response.

Honoka shrugged, and entered the building through the open door.

It was fairly unremarkable; white tile floor, a square space where she stood, and ahead of her was a glass entrance through which she could see the door to the stairwell and the elevator. Honoka took the elevator to the fourth floor, and with the entrance into the elevator, Honoka felt herself being sucked deeper into the unnerving void of this neighbourhood. It was only a few floors up, but that one elevator ride felt like purgatory. Honoka made a note to herself to use the stairs on her way down.

Exiting the elevator and walking down the hall, Honoka checked the door number. She was here: Apartment 4-03. She took a deep breath in, and knocked firmly.

1 second.

2 seconds.

3 seconds.

4 seconds.

4.5 seconds.

5.00 seconds.

5.25 seconds.

5.50 seconds elapsed, and the door started to open.

Honoka saw Nico there, her stance purposefully blocking the doorway, and inspected her in the space of a second: black jinbei, long, black, straight but messy hair reaching down to her bust, red eyes...

Her eyes. They seemed so tired and lifeless; Honoka couldn't tell if this was her resting face or if she'd come at the wrong time. The spark of a super idol just wasn't there. All Honoka saw was the dull red of someone who was running on low power - caught unaware, it looked like something resembling the glare a teenage Nico would have given her.

"Honoka." Nico said, slowly and deliberately, looking directly into Honoka's eyes.

Honoka stood there, speechless at the poison she felt from someone saying her own name.

"What do you want?" Nico said.

Nico's glare didn't go away; she didn't seem too happy to see Honoka.

Honoka tried to formulate something that wouldn't set Nico off: "Uhm..."

"Uhm, what? What do you want? What could you possibly want that's worth coming to this place after 11 years? I wanted to be left alone for a reason."

"Nico, please..."

"You're not going to leave, are you. Fine. Take off your shoes on the genkan and get inside. The neighbours can hear you."

Honoka aligned herself with the door and slid her shoes off her feet before turning around to face into the apartment. Nico closed the door behind her with a single swing and walked slowly into the apartment, turning around at the point where the entryway expanded into a living room, blocking half of Honoka's view. Honoka could see the window on the far wall, and the corner of a kotatsu in the centre of the room, as well as a TV in the corner, but not much else. There was a white robe on the floor closer to her, as well as an unidentified wrapper. Honoka tore her eyes off the living room to avoid appearing rude, and focused them back on Nico before Nico could see her snooping.

Nico was short as ever, but even so, her stance still made an impression on Honoka.

"Tell me why you came here and how you found me. You better have a damn good reason for coming here."

"U-uhm-"

"Actually, don't tell me how you found me. I don't even want to know. Just tell me why you're here."

Honoka felt her legs start shaking and her heart beat against her chest.. She tried her best to control it, but to no avail. She wasn't comfortable in this place, and she wasn't comfortable with the idea of another confrontation with Nico.

"I wish I could go home already." She thought to herself. Honoka started up to speak again.

"Well, I thought I'd...see how everyone was doing..."

Nico leaned forward in Honoka's direction slightly and shot her an irritated expression.

"Really? And it took you ten whole years to do it? So you were just in the area and had some time to kill?"

Honoka started to feel anger burn in herself as well; she didn't have time to kill. She'd come all the way to this awful neighbourhood specifically to track down Nico first above all the others after Maki, she was hungry, and she was having it thrown back in her face. Honoka very discreetly moved her body into a stance she thought would be better equipped to deal with the possibility of being attacked by Nico; she didn't intend on a fight, but she wasn't happy with the way this was panning out either.

"What's wrong with you, Nico? Why are you being so mean? I came here specifically for you, and you're throwing it back in my face."

Nico's expression wasn't getting any better.

"Me? Are you sure you came here for me? What the hell are you really doing here? You came here for _something_ , and I can't say I trust your intentions very much. You didn't care about me back then, and I doubt you care about me right now."

Stood in stunned silence again, Honoka started to tear up, in anger this time. She'd done nothing, and didn't come here looking for a conflict. Her eyes wet and her voice shaking, she continued arguing.

"Nico, I came here for you. What's going on?"

"What's going on...is that you actually don't even know why you're here, do you? The moment you walk out this door, you're just going to forget about me all over again. Why couldn't you just leave it alone?"

" _Nico, why are you acting like this? What have I done? What did I ever do to you?_ "

Reacting to Honoka, Nico too started to tear up in anger ever so slightly, stepping back to put distance between her and Honoka, her face twisting in a bitter grimace that could have been to hide her pain, arms folded tighter.

" _It's not about what you did, Honoka. It's what you didn't do after we disbanded. Yeah, we all still talked._ _ **Yeah**_ _, we-_ "

" _ **NICO, LISTEN TO ME. I CAME HERE FOR YOU AND YOU ONLY.**_ "

Nico's expression was wiped clean with an expression of shock at Honoka's uncharacteristic outburst as she continued, her gesturing becoming insistent and desperate, pointing to her heart with both hands with every sentence as she took a single step towards Nico, her tears flowing freely down her face from her now red eyes. Putting her all into being able to form coherent sentences through her tears, Honoka went on.

"Listen to me, Nico. I wanted to see you. I

 _wanted_

to find you."

Honoka took a breath in.

"I'm finding all of µ's. The people I left behind. The people we left behind. I know it's been a long time, and that's _why_ I want to see everyone again, Nico. I'm sorry if we didn't talk to you. Sometimes, life gets in the way and people just drift apart. You can't stop it from happening. And that's just what happened. I'm sad it happened, Nico. We probably all are. But if you don't want to see me...then I accept that, and I'll leave."

Honoka looked down, and turned around slowly to make the walk towards the door. The back of her throat ached, her eyes stung and her body felt weak.

"Honoka...wait."

Honoka turned around. Nico stood there at the entrance of the living room, arms folded tightly; her eyes were full of sorrow, and her firm facial expression told Honoka that she was also trying her hardest not to break. Her eyes shifted towards Honoka and the floor, blinking twice every time they did so.

Five seconds of silence followed, during which Nico mustered up enough composure to speak.

"I-I'm sorry...for-for leaving you all."

Nico paused again, looking back at the ground then at Honoka's bloodshot eyes, who looked on with a blank expression. She'd just let the tears fall down, leaving a colourless but visible streak down her face.

"I thought none of you cared about me. After Rin, Maki and Hanayo graduated, it seemed like you all just went back to being in your own groups again."

"It felt like I was being left out. It felt like things went back to the way they were before I met you all. You, Kotori and Umi. Eli and Nozomi. Maki, Hanayo and Rin. And just me."

Nico walked over to the white robe on the floor, and hung it up on a hanger on a nearby wall, picking up the unidentified wrapper as she did so, sniffling several times as she cleaned up. Honoka could see the room now; there was no idol memorabilia, but there was a pile of clothes in the corner of the room, a few movie posters on the wall and an unfinished bowl of miso soup on the kotatsu. It still seemed like it was in disarray, but Honoka couldn't put her finger on it, and so stopped passing judgement. It was a modest apartment, but good enough for somebody with little enough money that they'd move here.

"Do you want to sit down, Honoka?" Nico offered as she motioned towards two cushions on the tatami floor, on opposite sides of the kotatsu.

Honoka shuffled towards the closest seat to her without a word and slowly knelt down as Nico brought over two glass cups and a still warm glass pot of green tea, kneeling down on the opposite side of the kotatsu.

Nico reached over to set down a cup on Honoka's side of the table before pouring green tea into it, moving the cold bowl of soup over to herself.

"Honoka. What...what did you need?"

Honoka took a sip of her green tea, first, taking the time to look down in sorrow and let her tears dry out. Her answers were punctuated by sips of green tea and thousand-yard stares. Nico did the same, still feeling vulnerable.

"Maki let me invite everyone to her family house in Tokyo for the Obon holidays."

A sip of green tea.

"I wanted to invite everyone over for another week together, just like old times."

Another, smaller sip. Honoka looked at Nico briefly to maintain some quota of eye contact.

"It's fine if you don't want to come."

Nico rubbed her eyes, and set down her cup of tea to answer.

"I'll go. I don't have anywhere else to be for Obon anyway."

Honoka smiled weakly, set down her tea, chuckled once and rubbed her eyes in kind. "Thank you, Nico."

Nico chimed in with an addendum: "But first...can I have your number?"  
Honoka nodded, taking out her phone from her jean pocket and tapping a few times before bringing up the directory. "Put your number in, Nico. I'll call you."

Nico input her number and gave it back, but kept her arms outstretched, motioning Honoka to come around the table.

"Come here, Honoka."

Honoka stood up, moved forward two steps and knelt back down, in front of Nico. Without a word, they embraced each other in an emotionally charged hug without a defined end. Letting each other dry the other's tears on their shoulders, occasionally letting out sobs to get it out of their systems, they knelt there together for 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 seconds in silence. To Honoka, it felt like the world stopped for her. Maybe purgatory wasn't so bad.

 _"Thank you, Honoka."_


	2. Akihabara Starlight Interlude

**Note:** I got no more chapters after this one...after this one I have to get writing the next few parts! But don't worry, I've got this planned out fairly meticulously.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Akihabara Starlight Interlude**

 **Honoka's Wish**

Saturday late morning, June the 22nd.

At the top of the stairs to the Kanda Myojin shrine, Honoka Kousaka, Nozomi Tojo and Eli Ayase met for the first time in over 11 years, bathed in the familiar morning winds of the most famous shrine of Akihabara.

Honoka observed the last two members of µ's to meet her face-to-face against the backdrop of the city in the distance; Nozomi's hair wasn't quite as shocking as it used to be, now in a short ponytail similar to the one she had as a shrine maiden, and wore slim-fit jeans and a loose lilac shirt that hung quite a way below her neckline, while Eli wore a blue flannel shirt and cream leggings. Eli and Nozomi both were wearing glasses now, but...they didn't seem so different to the way they were. They had the same mature smiles, the same timeless charm to them as before, and they looked twice as lovely standing side by side. They raised their hands to wave hello to Honoka as she waved in kind politely.

"Hello, Honoka." Nozomi said, breaking the ice. "Long time, no see, huh?"

"It's wonderful to finally see you again, Honoka", Eli added, "we have a lot to tell you. But first, how about we visit the shrine?"

Honoka took two slow steps forward to begin their slow walk to the shrine, Eli and Nozomi by her side as they sauntered forward towards the shop to buy their prayer boards.

"It feels very different to come here as a visitor instead of a shrine maiden...I can't help but feel bad for leaving this shrine." Nozomi mused; while she had visited the Hokkaido shrine back in Sapporo, it was only ever as a visitor, and even then they were very occasional visits.

"So, Honoka...what have you been up to in the last 11 years?" Nozomi asked.

Honoka looked to the sky and made her trademark airy "hmm..." sound, wondering for a brief moment if she'd done anything interesting at all with her life, and for a brief moment, she forgot what she did for a living, before her entire life for the last 15 years flowed through her thoughts, and she replayed those years in her head, sifting through them for key points in her life. She wasn't expecting to be caught off-guard by such a simple question. Maybe it was that time of her life, she thought to herself; maybe she'd found herself approaching another crossroads in life.

She cut her thoughts off before she daydreamed any longer; she remembered what she needed.

"Um...well, I'm the co-manager of my parents' bakery in Akihabara now. I manage their finances and I help out with baking and cleaning...that's all, I think. I see Umi a lot, I guess."

"I suppose I really was justified in choosing you as student council president, Honoka." Eli said, giving Honoka the warm smile she'd always had.

"So, you and Umi see each other a lot?" Nozomi said, a sly smile forming on her face. "Well, how are the two of you doing? Are you both, you know..."

"Nozomi!" Eli quietly snapped, elbowing her indignantly.

"I'm sorry, Honoka, you don't have to answer that." Eli told her, noting that Nozomi was still smiling, and trying her best to hide it.

Eli poked Nozomi again, and Nozomi barely stifled a jolt of laughter.

"I'm sorry, Eli, you're just so cute when you're cross." Nozomi laughed.

With Nozomi ending her laughter with a small sigh, something changed, and the air felt different; Honoka felt comfortable again. The ice had broken.

"Aha...what do you do, Nozomi?" Honoka asked, tilting her head as she looked over to Nozomi.

Nozomi paused for a moment, trying to think of a way to word her answer such that it didn't seem like she was trying to show up Honoka.

"Ah, how do I say this? Well...let's just say I work for an international company with an office in Sapporo."

Nozomi winked at Honoka. Honoka wasn't sure what she meant by this exactly, and she hoped there wasn't some tax evasion scheme being hinted at.

"What do you do exactly, Nozomi?" Honoka asked, oblivious.

"I oversee one of the divisions of Mazda. They recently opened another office in Sapporo, but don't worry yourself with the details, Honoka. It's nothing too interesting."

Honoka gasped in wonder; her old friend, Nozomi Tojo, was an international career woman for a huge company now. "Wow...that's a big company..." Nozomi nodded in agreement.

Honoka turned to Eli and asked her in turn: "What do _you_ do now, Eli?"

Eli shrugged lightly. "Nothing too interesting either, sorry. I run a small flower shop in Sapporo and I guess that's it...sorry, Honoka, I guess you were expecting something exciting." She laughed.

"Don't devalue yourself, Eli! That sounds beautiful...the idea of running a small flower shop sounds like a wonderful life. It sounds dreamy..."

"Ah, well, you can dream later, Honoka. We're here. Any of these emas stick out to you?"

Honoka turned around a full 360 degrees, looking up and down; the shrine felt so different to her now. It was so much busier: there was another shelf of Zenigata Heiji novels, the selection of emas had doubled in size, and there were assorted walls of merchandise all over the place...she felt slightly overwhelmed, like she was back in the shopping district. She hadn't really been here since 2012; back then, Nozomi had been her incentive to come here.

She remembered that there used to be µ's merchandise here when it was quickly found out that Kanda Myojin shrine was where the famous idol group µ's visited; there was a merchandise section, and even emas with their designs on them. Now, there was no µ's merchandise in sight, though there were plenty of merchandise from series she didn't recognise.

Honoka turned to see that Eli had already bought an ema with a simple illustration of daffodils on it, and Nozomi had one with an illustration of a shrine maiden on it. Feeling pressured, Honoka chose the first one to catch her eye; a red dragon-patterned one.

Nozomi beckoned to Honoka from a nearby bench, ema in hand.

"Come on, Honoka. Shall we go write down what we want on our emas?"

"Come over here, but I have an idea." Eli added. Curious, Honoka walked over.

Stood in a triangle, leaning in as if she were a coach giving a strategy talk for the second half of the game, Eli looked both of them in the eyes, confirming that they were listening intently.

"So."

"We write down our wishes...but we don't tell each other what we wrote down. We put our emas in different areas, and we promise not to read each other's wishes. Do you promise?"

"We promise." Honoka and Nozomi said in unison, nodding firmly.

Nozomi's wish was for all 9 members of µ's to reunite on the date Honoka had specified, with no issues getting in the way; she wanted nothing to get in the way of fate, and that all 9 of them would meet on the day Honoka promised her.

Eli's wish was for the former members of µ's to remain in contact even after their meeting for Obon; she didn't want fate getting in the way of friends, or that fate would be friends drifting apart yet again.

Honoka's wish was for µ's, and simply for µ's; all that the former idol group embodied, all of its legacy, and the bond between every member; she could not think of any simpler wish.

The three of them reconvened in the centre of the concourse, hands free.

"What shall we do now?" Honoka asked.

"I know exactly what we should be doing", Eli replied, "How about we slowly head downtown for lunch, then show us round the city again? I'd love to see how the place has changed in the last few years."

"And afterwards, let's hang out in me and Elicchi's hotel room, maybe for a drink after that. I'm in the mood for a girl's night later tonight." Nozomi added.

* * *

 **Akihabara Liminal**

Saturday late night, June the 22nd.

Blanketed in artificial yellow by the streetlights outside Eli and Nozomi's hotel as she left, Honoka surveyed her surroundings and smelt the night air, saw sights electric and heard the sounds of a city charged with excitement; walking in the general direction of home brought her to the heart of Akihabara, where the streets exploded into a rainbow of hues as her view moved towards the horizon - she saw a valley of neon red, paired with neon green and punctuated with fluorescent thunderbolt yellow lights as the adverts on the screens on the side of the buildings cycled over and over, promoting movies Honoka couldn't see the titles for, drinks Honoka never paid attention to in the stores, cars Honoka never had any need for.

Tonight, Akihabara was alive, and at its heart was a former idol and her world.

Honoka was stunned motionless; maybe she'd had some to drink, but life seemed so much brighter to her now, if this was how beautiful her home could really be. Clutching her purse to her side as the buildings of Akihabara showed her things she didn't need, Honoka made a start down the Akihabara high street with a glacial pace, taking in the sights around her: two salarymen sat on the doorstep of a shop that was closed for the night, an advert for the new AKB48 release, another advert for an anime she didn't recognise, a group of people dressed in Harajuku street fashion.

Saturday nights were always the busiest times of the week for central Akihabara, at least until Obon, when tourists and Japanese alike would pass through the place on their holidays in droves. Honoka didn't come to this part of Akihabara very often at this time of the night or the week, nor did she remember the last time she had visited at this time, especially not with another person; Saturday nights in lively streets such as this wasn't really Umi's scene. The crowds were shoulder to shoulder in the centre of the street; it was thinned out where Honoka was, enough for uninterested passers-by to walk around the orange-haired woman in the white spring jacket walking at a snail's pace. She made a note to herself to try to drag Umi here on a Saturday night sometime.

Honoka heard a muffled song playing above all the rest from a place she couldn't locate. She made it out quickly; it sounded like A-RISE. Moreso, an A-RISE song she was sure she'd never heard before; it sounded a lot heavier than Shocking Party. There were some more aggressive elements to it, and they all sounded so much more mature. Their voices were smoother, but other than that...they sounded the same as always. Honoka wondered if she'd done the wrong thing disbanding her own idol group.

Honoka felt the city flowing through her; bright, lively, electric... _alive_ , and for the next 15 minutes, Honoka found herself immersed in the sights, taking everything in step by step. Eventually, she found herself departing from the glamour of the main street, and couldn't help but feel a little sad the experience was over - she wasn't going to remember any of the shops she saw.

She found herself on autopilot, taking herself through the lesser-known back alleys and side streets around the houses in the neighbourhood.

Honoka encountered no people here; given that the neighbourhood had always been safe, a strange sense of tranquility took hold as Honoka found herself moving at a slow pace again. She could feel the character of the neighbourhood itself - It was just as charming at night.

It felt so peaceful - the noise of Akihabara was but a muffled buzz in the distance, fading away slowly into nothing. It was only Honoka, the night breeze and her own thoughts now as she wandered the labyrinthine neighbourhood on instinct.

It was the route she'd always taken home from school, and the route she'd always taken to and from downtown Akihabara, and she knew it well.

Silence had fallen over the streets now, and time slowed to a halt.

"Hold it right there." A feminine yet firm voice.

Honoka froze mid-step, fearing to turn around. She wasn't in the best position for a confrontation.

"Turn around. Don't be afraid."

Honoka slowly turned around, paying close attention to her every step on the way still for fear of a surprise. She looked at the other person's face first and recognised her face in the darkness immediately, even afer 7 years.

Shrouded half in shadow stood Tsubasa Kira.

She was dressed in an outfit that looked similar to the one A-RISE had worn for their Shocking Party video. Honoka wasn't sure if Tsubasa had just performed somewhere, but...just like in 2017 ashe looked _exactly_ the same as she did 13 years ago, like the afterimage of a memory.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Honoka?"

Honoka simply stared at her openmouthed, wondering if she'd gone beyond tipsy while she was with Eli and Nozomi. She moved one foot back slightly, just in case her balance faltered.

"Aww, you're cute when you don't know what to say." Tsubasa said, unmoving. "How have you been since we last met?"

Honoka paused, trying to remember what she said to Nozomi and Eli, but to no avail.

"Umm...I manage...my parent's bakery now, I guess. Are you...still an idol? And Erena and Anju?"

"Ah, we're still idols. I hope you're living a life you're happy with, Honoka. Are you?"

"Hmm..."

Honoka looked down at the ground, a little bit more unsure of her life now.

"Oh?" Tsubasa tilted her head sympathetically. "If not, then what does make you happy in life? If µ's wasn't your lifelong dream either, then what do you aim for?"

Honoka still found herself at a loss for words; she wasn't sure if saying anything was the right thing to do here. She was happy with her work at the bakery, nor was she ever dissatisfied. Umi had once said differently about her own work in confidentiality, but...she was Honoka, not Umi.

Tsubasa interrupted before Honoka found the words to say: "I'm sorry, maybe this isn't the right time to be asking. Are you okay?"

She walked towards Honoka and turned her around. Honoka tried to comply, but instead lost her footing and started to fall.

Tsubasa caught her and brought her back to her feet, laughing a little.

"I'll walk you home."

Honoka didn't pay much attention to the streets Tsubasa guided her through silently; she sunk into a trance at the unrealness of her current situation, and what was happening. She was being walked home drunk by Tsubasa Kira in a silent neighbourhood.

Before she knew it, Honoka found herself standing outside her home, face-to-face with Tsubasa. It only felt like she'd walked one or two streets before getting here...

Still in her trance, Honoka surveyed Tsubasa for a few seconds, wondering what course of action to take, whether she should do something impulsive - after a few seconds, she hugged Tsubasa. It felt like the right thing to do.

"Thank you, Tsubasa..."  
Tsubasa hugged her back gently without saying anything, ending the hug by moving Honoka away, holding onto her shoulders. Honoka thought she saw Tsubasa move forward a little to close in - but was unable to truly tell, as Tsubasa moved back, definitely keeping distance now, though still smiling.

"Goodbye, Honoka." Tsubasa said as she waved, crossing the street and disappearing into the alley like a ghost in the night.

Honoka entered her house, and walked straight to her room in a daze, removing her jacket and collapsing out onto her bed, falling asleep immediately.

Tonight she would sleep well.

* * *

 **Hopes and Dreams of µ's**

Saturday night, June the 22nd.

At the end of Saturday as they lay in bed awake, every single member of µ's thought until the moment they fell asleep about their visits from a certain flame-haired guardian angel, and the ramifications of the plans she'd set into motion; what it would mean to see the rest of µ's, and how they had changed in the last decade, and what it would be to meet them again.

In this day lay the doubts, hopes and dreams of the fragments of a former school idol group.

Rin had managed to deal with stress long ago; she only wondered. Wondered about whether everyone was more mature than her, whether they could still handle her. For the most part, Rin was sound, and was prepared for whatever would happen come the Obon holidays.

Hanayo had managed to allay stress the same as Rin, a skill learnt from working with children as an assistant teacher in a primary school. Hanayo, too, only wondered, about how everyone would feel when they saw the new Hanayo, and if Nico was still into the idol scene. Like Rin, Hanayo would fall asleep in peace, prepared for whatever came her way.

Maki did worry, however; she was no stranger to worry, having stressed her way through 7 years of university to obtain her doctorate. She stressed about how her patients would fare while she was away, and her fellow doctors, but most of all she stressed about the ever unpredictable Honoka; would her plans go through? Honoka was never as meticulous as her, or even Umi or Eli.

Kotori could barely even focus - her mind still raced with her memories of the video call with Honoka and Umi, and she wondered if everyone else would be as nice as them. Kotori did not worry, no, she did the opposite. Kotori was nothing but excited for her meeting, and planned fully on hugging Umi and Honoka tightly when she met them.

Umi worried the most of all. She worried about Honoka in the back of her mind like she'd been doing for the last 25 years of her life, but this time she worried about one person in particular: Maki. She worried about whether things would be different when they met in person again - they hadn't fallen out - they'd simply lost contact, but Umi felt a jolt of forgotten longing when she remembered the slow kiss they'd shared at the end of the day when they'd met for coffee in Kyoto during Maki's university course (something that was meant to only be a brief lunch meeting). She felt like Maki didn't miss her like she missed Maki, and it was nothing but a mistake born of a one-sided feeling. Umi was afraid of dealing with the consequences of what had happened 5 years ago, but she knew deep down she had to face danger and uncertainty head on; she had to talk to Maki. It was the only way to end her own worry.

Eli and Nozomi knew no doubt, or the concept of uncertainty; Nozomi's complex management skills picked up from years as a career woman combined with her instinct and Eli's own planning skills, maturity and arrangement as a former student council president and a florist had meant they had the potential to go up against the world and win. They knew how to handle their drink, having had more than Honoka; still clear-headed, they were unstoppable. No worries, no words; after an extra hour in the hotel room together after getting back, Eli and Nozomi lied in each other's arms until they fell asleep.

Nico wasn't particularly thinking much; her thoughts felt like static on an untuned TV, drowning out any coherent thoughts she might have had. She was too emotionally exhausted to think, as she had been for most of the last 12 years. Nico went to sleep without a word in her thoughts, none she remembered anyway.

For a brief few hours in a fixed period in time in the universe, every single member of µ's lay asleep in their beds, dreaming. Like their waking hours, most dreamt also of the events of the last week or two, specifically, their visit from a certain orange-haired guardian angel; some didn't dream at all, not having had any dreams for a while.

Honoka dreamt of her own guardian angel as she lay face down on bed in full clothing; Tsubasa Kira, the idol from her home town, her former rival/friend. It was a vivid dream that Honoka would remember for a long time...

Honoka stood in the crowd at the front of the stage at the Tokyo Dome. The hall was packed to capacity, shoulder-to-shoulder, illuminated with pulsing lightning blue, and she swayed back and forth with the motion of the crowd to the red-hot beat of the music. She looked up to see A-RISE in brilliant, intricate black, red and gold phoenix-themed outfits; the wings and frills of the outfit were ablaze, though the fire did not spread, appearing to behave itself. Their fire forming afterimages on the stage, Erena, Tsubasa and Anju switched formations and moved as a trio with blinding speed, singing the song she'd heard in central Akihabara. At the front of the formation, Tsubasa moved forward to the very edge of the stage reached out her hand to Honoka, inviting her up to stage; the crowd raised Honoka up and lifted her onto the stage, Tsubasa pulling Honoka up proper. Honoka looked at her arms and realised she was wearing the same phoenix outfit as the three members of A-RISE; she didn't feel fire on her skin, but she felt it in her veins and she knew what to sing, what to do. Honoka joined A-RISE on their song and moved her body, but...something felt wrong. She was just barely executing the moves A-RISE were so effortlessly doing, and she was finding herself losing her breath and tiring out very quickly, like time was slowing down. Honoka noticed time _was_ slowing down - as her muscles slowed from exhaustion, so did the crowd, the music and even A-RISE. She saw Anju laughing in delight, enjoying performing her own song; Honoka appreciated that Anju was enjoying herself, but...seeing her laughing in slow motion felt wrong to her, like something else might happen at any moment once it got slow enough. The lights eventually started to dim as time continued to slow down, and Honoka watched the crowd swallowed up by the darkness coming inward like fog. Eventually, Honoka saw A-RISE vanish, oblivious to the breaking of time and space, still dancing, and then it was just her and the lengths of her arms, fading to black.

Then darkness.


	3. Reunited

**Notes:**

"Asakusa Toro Nagashi" means "Asakusa paper lantern festival", and is a festival as part of Obon at Asakusa, at the Sumida River in Tokyo.

"Hanito Café" is short for "Honey Toast Café", the famous café in Akihabara which is popular for their Honey Toast dessert.

"Hokkai Bon Odori" means "Hokkai Bon Dance" and is the festival celebrated in Sapporo for Obon. The Hokkai Bon Odori dance is to honour the dead, and to welcome homecoming ancestral spirits. Anybody can join in.

"Daimonji Festival" is shorthand for "Gozan no Okuribi Festival" and is the culmination of Obon in Kyoto, where five giant bonfires are lit on mountains around the city.

Thank you so much for all the feedback! I was very pleasantly surprised by the reviews, and while I'm not sure how to respond without spoiling anything, I was very motivated by every single one. I'm very surprised at how quickly I wrote this, even if I had great fun, so thank you again!

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Reunited**

 **Fate**

Saturday afternoon, August the 10th.

Fighting against the onslaught of tourists and natives on holiday flowing from beyond the ticket gates, Umi and Honoka ploughed their way through the unending waves of people in Akihabara Station's concourse step by step, side by side, suitcases in hand behind them, diverting each person as if they were pushing through with an invisible shield. They settled at the pillar nearest to the ticket barriers and stood as tall as they could, hoping to catch a glimpse of any of the seven they were looking for. Umi took out her phone and looked at the screen before looking up to make sure it matched with the station's clock; 1:03pm on both clocks. Umi noted that there was no signal on her phone, putting it back into her purse; they would have to play this by ear.

"Do you see anyone, Honoka?"

Honoka moved her right ear closer to Umi, moving a stray strand of hair out of her own face. "What?"

"Do you _see_ anyone, Honoka? I don't know what they look like, if they look any different."

"No, I don't. Let's wait here so we have somewhere to stick to." Honoka shouted over the roar of countless different conversations, moving her hand perpendicular to her forehead in a fruitless attempt to identify people she'd only seen once in the last 11 years. The slowest four minutes of their life followed. Countless trains were delayed. Several people got stuck behind the ticket barriers after being too slow to bring their bags through. Through it all, Umi and Honoka kept anchor where they were.

Through the faceless mass of middle-aged men with short black hair, Honoka caught a glimpse of blonde hair - she was standing next to someone with...dark purple hair.

It had to be Eli and Nozomi.

Knowing she had bright hair just the same, Honoka jumped and waved in their general direction and prayed to herself that they wouldn't make an unnecessary turn in any direction, shouting their names when she knew they wouldn't be able to hear her as Umi simply waved her right arm slowly, secretly hoping she wouldn't be noticed next to the woman flailing her arms wildly and shouting. Nozomi noticed quickly and tapped Eli's shoulder, leaning in to say something to her. Eli turned her head in their general direction but didn't look directly at them; Honoka still couldn't see either of them very well through the gaps in the crowd, but she saw Eli craning her head just like Honoka was as Umi pressed down on Honoka's shoulder to prevent her jumping any more - they'd noticed them, faster than hoped. Umi sighed unheard in relief, releasing her worries into the jet stream of noise coming from all sides.

Honoka saw a raised arm craning over the crowds, pointing insistently in their direction and awkwardly moving to the side for every second person to make their way through. She couldn't see who the arm belonged to, but she had a general idea of who it might be as the arm's owner burst through a brief gap between two tourists, set down a suitcase in front of her and immediately hugged Honoka and Umi tightly.

"It's good to see you again, Nozomi." Umi said, her eyes closed, her head on Nozomi's shoulder.

Eli materialised from behind Nozomi, setting her suitcase down by Nozomi's suitcase, hugging Honoka and Umi in turn, though separately this time; her hugs were much lighter and more delicate than Nozomi's, but just as sincere. Eli moved around so that four of them stood in a tight diamond formation to the side of the pillar, making sure they would not be moved from their position.

"So", Eli said with a smile, "it's been 11 years, has it not?"

"We've asked Honoka already, Umi. Now it's _your_ turn: what do you do for a living?" Nozomi asked, finishing a sentence Eli didn't even have to start.

Keeping her hands clasped against her stomach politely, Umi didn't miss a beat: "As expected of me, I'm assistant director and assistant manager for both my father's martial arts classes and my mother's traditional dance studio. I'm looking set to inherit them any day now as my parents are nearing retirement. Though...my dad says he'll never retire, we know he'll have to soon."

Eli and Nozomi nodded at each other in surprise, impressed by Umi's quick and concise answer.

"A fine forehand return, Umi." Nozomi quipped as Eli nodded in agreement, glancing between Umi and Nozomi quickly.

"On that subject, Nozomi, I have to ask, what does Eli do?" Umi replied, a knowing smile forming on her face. Nozomi returned this sly smile. Honoka and Eli simply looked on at Nozomi and Umi, unsure of what to say about the battle of wits taking place; they weren't sure what their goal was or where this was going, but it intrigued them as any professional sporting match would.

"Elicchi is a florist, and she keeps a very nice back garden. She runs a small flower shop in the town of Sapporo we live in."

Nozomi punctuated her sentence by kissing Eli on the cheek with blinding speed, moving quickly back to her original position to finish her power move. A brief pause followed before Honoka smiled broadly, planted her hand on Umi's shoulder and did the same to Umi, her troublemaking smile returning the moment her body moved back to its original posture. Umi swatted Honoka's hand off her shoulder a moment too late, her face clearly holding back embarrassed laughter. Eli and Nozomi looked at them for another moment before breaking down into laughter.

"You win this round, Umi." Nozomi said, rubbing her left eye with her finger, still laughing.

"I have to ask, though...what do you do, Nozomi?" Umi asked politely.

"I head one of the divisions of Mazda. It's not too interesting to most people, but the recent economic boom's made it a lot easier. We're getting interns just pouring in now thanks to the amendment on graduate programmes..."

"Ohhh, I see." Umi said, nodding her head in feigned interest. She didn't pay too much interest in politics. Nozomi read her like a book and realised she'd gone too far into economics already.

"Sorry, Umi. Sometimes I get carried away. As you might be able to tell, I got in through a graduate programme myself after I got a degree in economics at Sapporo University."

"Sapporo's a wonderful place", Eli added, holding onto Nozomi's arm and leaning into her, "We fell in love with the place, so I decided to move there for good with Nozomi. We got married there."

"Congratulations on your marriage!" Umi replied, bowing.

Eli went to say something, but interrupted herself to look past Umi and into the intensifying crowd coming from the ticket barrier.

"Hang on, I think I see Hanayo and Rin."

The four of them looked where Eli was looking; sure enough, they could see a head of orange hair and a head of long brown hair looking around frantically, trying to see through the group of tall men in front of them. They didn't seem like they knew where they were headed, and looked primed to head in a different direction entirely.

"Hang on, I'll go get them. Watch my suitcase." Umi said, shooting off into the crowd. The three of them watched as she cut through the crowd like a knife through water, her stride never breaking for even a moment. 10 seconds later, Umi brought them back with both their hands in hers with the same fierce march, the both of them following her like ducklings with their little suitcases behind them. Eli, Nozomi and Honoka shifted around and the six of them rearranged into a tight hexagon formation, suitcases in the centre like a blossom. Nozomi began the greetings by hugging them both in one armful, followed by Eli's smaller, separate hugs, then Umi and Honoka went in for a group hug before they returned to their positions.

Hanayo sighed and looked skyward, running her hands through her long hair and shaking it out before brushing her pink skirt and white shirt. "What a nightmare..."

Rin nodded in agreement, a distressed look on her face. "Our train got delayed by 16 minutes...we thought we would be early."

"Tell me about it", Eli replied, "Haneda Airport was hell on earth, and then we had to get the crowded train on top of that. Nozomi, when are you getting a private jet?"

Nozomi shrugged comically.

"How is Chiba-ken? Honoka tells me it's green where you live." Eli added.

"It's okay, I guess. I'm happy with the activity centre I work out though. There's _so_ many things to do..." Rin replied. "I like the cafés where I live the best! There's nothing better than relaxing with some coffee after running around with a group of children. You should come to Chiba-ken some day!"

"She loves coffee." Hanayo said, summarising.

"Ah...cafés? If it's a warm feeling you want, you'd LOVE Sapporo. I run a flower shop there, but sometimes I run out to go get something from the coffee shop next door because it smells so nice."  
Eli looked up dreamily, thinking of her flower shop again.

"Rin, why did you have to talk about coffee? I could really have some right now." Honoka said.

"We walked here, Honoka, stop complaining." Umi added.

"I still want coffee..."

"I do have a few bottles of water in my suitcase, if anyone wants any." Nozomi said, pre-emptively kneeling down to unzip her suitcase, though everyone politely declined. Nozomi stood back up, slightly put out.

"Honestly, Eli, I miss the cafés of Akihabara the most. There was the maid café Kotori worked at, and did you ever eat at the Honey Toast bakery?"

Eli clasped her hands over her heart in delight. "I LOVED the Honey Toast bakery." She said with wistful love in her voice. "I heard they went downhill before I moved away though."

"No, no! They're a good café!" Rin replied, quickly looking behind her for signs of Kotori, Maki or Nico. "They can make hanito like they used to!"

"Riiin...Nozomi, can I have some water, please?" Eli asked.

"I thought you'd never ask."

"Can I have some too?" Rin added.

"Me too! Get a bottle for Umi as well." Honoka said.

"Ah, could I have a bottle too, please?" Hanayo said, hoping Nozomi had enough water.

Nozomi knelt down and unzipped her suitcase halfway, taking out several half-frozen water bottles and placing them onto the ground. She then zipped the suitcase up and handed a bottle to each person, taking one for herself. For a good 10-15 seconds, the six of them stood there in silence, drinking heavily in the suffocating, stale hot air of the station.

"Thanks, Nozomi." Honoka said. The rest of them followed in turn with their own variants of "Thank you, Nozomi", in agreement with Honoka.

"Oh, but we definitely have to go to the cafés of Akihabara sometime. Maybe this week." Eli digressed to Rin, capping her bottle of water again. "Do you know when Maki, Nico or Kotori are getting here, Honoka?"

Honoka held up her phone towards Eli, pointing to the top-left corner. "Sorry, Eli, there's no signal in here. I'm not getting any messages."

Honoka looked at her phone, then at Umi.

Umi took out her phone and turned on the screen, waiting a few seconds.  
"Ah...didn't you say you had coffee with Maki a few years ago? Do you still have her number?"  
"Well..."

"Ah, so you're still in touch with others?" Nozomi interjected. "Why haven't you seen each other since, though? Did something happen?"

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Umi's blood ran cold; she knew Nozomi was capable of seeing into anybody's soul, and if Nozomi figured out what happened, there was no telling what damage that information could do. She didn't need people intruding on her feelings.

Her phone reinitialised, and Umi saw something she never thought she'd be happy to see: no signal.

"I'm sorry, Honoka. I don't have any signal either."

"Oh, here comes Maki now!" Hanayo shouted. The six of them turned around and sure enough, a bright red-haired figure with her hair in a bun was clearly visible in the crowd; it could only be Maki.

"Umi, would you do the honours?" Eli said.

Umi nodded, and ghosted through the crowds again. She could be seen waving then motioning to Maki to follow her. 20 seconds later, Umi returned bringing Maki back in her hand, her heart silently beating through her chest. Maki hugged each of them in turn and set down her suitcase in the centre of them, changing the formation to a heptagon. The seven of them took up a fair amount of space now; they were a fortress.

"Wow...you look wonderful, Maki." Hanayo said.

"Thank you, Hanayo. I have to say, you look adorable in your pink skirt too." Maki said with a warm smile.

Nozomi quickly knelt down and unzipped her suitcase again, taking out another bottle of water before zipping the suitcase back up.

"Here, Maki. I'm sure you're exhausted and dehydrated."

"Ah, thank you, Nozomi. I actually am a bit dehydrated right now." Maki accepted the bottle of water, and took a few sips before putting it back in her purse. She already had a bottle of water in her purse, but it was warm; she hoped it would cool the other bottle down.

"You wouldn't believe the crowds I had on the way here from Kyoto." she said. Everyone except Umi and Honoka groaned in agreement, recalling their own bad travel experience.

" _16-minute delay,_ and we came here from Chiba-ken." Hanayo complained, gesturing with each word. "You think that sounds okay, but when you have to wait in a crowded train station shoulder-to-shoulder the whole time, it's bad."

Maki sighed. "What a nightmare."

Hanayo laughed. "That's what I said. But we knew it'd be like this around Obon..."

"I know it is, but it's all worth it for the Daimonji Festival. It's the best Obon festival I've seen in all of Japan."

"Better than Asakusa Toro Nagashi?" Honoka chimed in.

Maki nodded. "Better."

Honoka didn't believe it herself, and wasn't sure if anyone else did, but she accepted Maki's opinion.

"It might not be THE festival, but the Hokkai Bon Odori's definitely worth it if you're ever in Sapporo", Nozomi added, lifting a finger with flair, "As you know, it's where the Hokkai Bon Odori comes from, so it's _super_ in touch with its roots."

"I was in Sapporo once...but it wasn't during Obon. Kind of a shame, I'm in the mood for the Hokkai Bon Odori now."

Nozomi shrugged empathetically. "For what it's worth, we have better festivals than most of the other places in the world. I went to Britain once, and their fireworks night on the 5th of November seemed kind of...plain."

"I don't really go abroad much, so I wouldn't know. I only ever fly out for the occasional medical conference, but I like to stay in Japan when I holiday."

"You're a doctor?" Nozomi asked. "Where did you go to university?"

"Kyoto University, Yoshida campus! I did all 7 years of my medical course there. I did fine but I still have nightmares about the entrance exams..."

"I know how you feel, Maki." Hanayo said. "I got a degree in English Literature from Tokyo University, and I read somewhere that Tokyo University and Kyoto University are the hardest ones to get into. I remember panicking and thinking I'd failed the entrance exam before I got in. I'm just thankful that the course itself wasn't so hard."

"Honestly, the entrance exam is the only truly worrisome part of university. Once I got into Sapporo University, I spent half my time out of campus." Nozomi chimed in nonchalantly.

"Well, I have to admit, it did get difficult in the last 3 years of the course", Maki said, "being a doctor is not easy work."

"I wish I had an easy time of university like you two...I only did English Lit, but I struggled a lot." Hanayo added.

"I dropped out two years in because I couldn't handle it." Rin said. "I'm not very good at studying a lot and keeping focused, so university isn't for me."

"Oh, hang on, I think I see Kotori!" Honoka interrupted, looking towards the silvery-brown haired figure sauntering out of the ticket gates. "Umi, can I try this time?"

Honoka departed into the recently refreshed crowd, and sidestepped awkwardly around several people before bulldozing her way through the rest to make her way to Kotori. After around a minute, Honoka burst out of the wall of businessmen with Kotori in tow, looking slightly frustrated.

"Umi. How...do...you...do...this?"

Without missing a beat, Kotori set down her suitcase and shepherded in Umi and Honoka, the two people closest to her, in for a tight hug lasting several seconds, kissing each of them on both cheeks. Eli brought her closer for her own hug, and Kotori moved around to greet each person in turn before taking her place in the octagon they'd made. Nozomi handed her a cold bottle of water proudly, which Kotori drank half of in a single go.  
"Thank you, Nozomi!"

"She carries all sorts of things around with her in case someone needs anything", Eli said, laughing, "Even if they don't really need it."

"They need it." Nozomi said.

"People do need water though!" Rin said. "Staying hydrated is the most important thing to remember. Even if you don't think you're thirsty, you should drink water just in case. I work at a children's activity centre, and I often have to tell them to drink water or they'll faint in the heat."

Honoka and Hanayo uncapped their water bottles and took a gulp of water, followed by Maki.

"I drink a lot of coffee. Doesn't that help too, Rin?" Kotori said.

"If you're dehydrated, caffeine will give you a headache, Kotori..." Rin replied with a hint of worry in her voice.

"You drink coffee all the time!" Hanayo interrupted.

"I recommend water even if you've got another drink with you. Do you play sports, Kotori?" Rin continued.

"Ah, I don't, I'm sorry...I work at a café in Paris, so I don't get many chances to play sports."

"You still do kendo, right, Umi? Tell me you stay hydrated!" Rin said as she turned to Umi, the worry on her face spreading.

"I stay hydrated, Rin." Umi said, smiling warmly in an attempt to calm Rin down.

"Rin, calm down", Eli said, "I work at a flower shop, so I keep all the flowers hydrated too. I know what it's like."

"But flowers aren't people!" Rin exclaimed. "You can't force people to drink water like you do with flowers!"

"Rin, calm down! Nobody's in danger of fainting right now."

Eli smiled as Umi did, trying to calm her down for the third time.

"You're right, Eli...I guess I did get a bit worked up there. Anyway, Kotori, you said you live in Paris?! What's that like? Do you eat lots of croissants?"

"That's exactly what I asked!" Honoka shouted out as Umi put her hand to her own face, laughing.

"Sigh...I don't want to be a stereotypical French person, but they're so good with cheese and tomato...it's my breakfast half of the time." Kotori replied.

"And you make dresses. You're like the ultimate French person." Honoka chimed in.

"I am very French." Kotori agreed, nodding dramatically.

"Rin and I were actually talking about cafés earlier, Kotori." Eli said. "We talked about the cafés in Akihabara, and apparently the Hanito café is really good now."

"The Hanito café was really nice the last time I went, but I always liked maid cafés better. They always seemed friendlier and I felt like I could be myself. Akihabara's cafés are an exhausting experience compared to the way they are in France..."

"Ah, I wouldn't know. I live in Sapporo with Nozomi now. The cafés there are very calm compared to Tokyo, in our area anyway, so I know as much about Akihabara now as you do."

"They're okay where I work, though." Nozomi said, making a "so-so" gesture with her hand. "Nowhere I'd want to visit after a long day at the office."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but does anyone else have Nico's number?" Honoka said, still receiving no signal on her phone; she was met with resounding "no" responses and headshakes.

"We tried to get hold of her number back then, believe me." Eli said.

"I'm getting worried."

"Another few trains probably arrived in the past minute." Maki replied, noting that the crowds coming out the ticket gates were hitting peak density again.

"Can anybody see her?" Hanayo was one of the shortest in the group, but valiantly attempted to find Nico anyway, struggling to see past Maki.

"She has long black hair now." Honoka said.

"She should have picked a different hairstyle." Nozomi commented, dispersing her gaze between several Japanese women with long black hair.

The eight of them fixated on the ticket barriers now like sentries out of place; Nico was the only one that had yet to arrive now, and she'd somehow managed to be the last despite Kotori having come all the way from Paris. The crowd started to thin as the last passengers from the last burst of trains flocked out of the gates. As the last batch of people exited, a lone woman could be seen walking through the ticket gates; she was walking as slowly as she possibly could, her head was facing forward, but...her eyes were focused on the ground. Long black hair, red eyes, suitcase, T-shirt, jacket with rolled-up sleeves and trousers...it had to be Nico.

"Is that Nico? What's up with her?" Maki said.

"Why is she looking down? How is she going to find us like that?" Hanayo added.

"Something's wrong." Umi said, turning to Honoka as she said so.

"I'm afraid to go over there." Honoka replied. "I thought...I thought she was okay."

"Okay?" Maki inquired. "She doesn't look okay. I'm closest. I'll get her."

Maki walked over to Nico, unobstructed by any crowds. The other seven watched as Nico looked up at Maki with a blank expression. Maki craned her head in and said a few things, gesturing insistently in their direction, then turned around and headed back, Nico in tow, eyes uncomfortably shifting between targets every second.

As soon as Nico entered range, Nozomi pulled her in and gently hugged her without saying anything, resting the side of Nico's head on her collarbone. Nico didn't seem to respond much, but halfheartedly returned Nozomi's hug anyway.

"Nico..." Eli whispered.

"I'm not in the mood for your pity, Eli."

A silence fell over the group as they wondered which one of them would ask the question they all wanted to answer for but were too afraid to ask.

Kotori broke the silence.

"Nico."

Nico turned her gaze towards Kotori, softening her gaze a little in the face of Kotori's disarming aura.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I had a long trip."

Kotori and Maki looked at each other, hoping the look they shared would provide the other with any answers.

"But...are you sure? It doesn't seem like it..."

Nico was already starting to melt; next to Hanayo and perhaps now Honoka, Kotori was one of the only people she couldn't ever bring herself to be aggressive towards. Stalling for her own answers in her mind, Nico continued looking at the ground, but shifted her gaze to the side slightly.

"Nico, please."

The silences between each sentence started to close in on the group - they started to realise just how badly Nico's life had gone.

Nozomi took matters into her own hands, her intentions meaning well.

"It's been 11 years, Nicocchi. Why did you disappear?"

Nico simply looked at Nozomi.

"I'll tell you what, Nico. If you tell us, I'll take us all out to whatever place you want in Akihabara, and I'll pay for everyone. If you want to go to more than one place, I can do that, too."

Nico looked to her side, through Eli; she felt reluctant, but...it had been so long since she had truly good food. She wasn't feeling picky; she was just hungry.

Rin and Maki looked at each other, and nodded covertly. They remembered their part well.

"Fine."

* * *

 **YaNIzaCw0a**

Saturday mid-afternoon, February the 9th, 2013.

Pink pyjamas, hair down, TV on, Nico Yazawa lay in bed at home in her apartment at Akihabara, holding her phone above her face. She scrolled and scrolled in a fruitless attempt to generate a notification for somebody other than her posting in the µ's group chat.

"Not bad!" Eli Ayase.

Sent 14:22, January 29.

Read 16:34.

The further she scrolled up, the more she noticed she seemed to be the only one really contributing to the group chat. Every other message was her posting something in an attempt to revive the group chat, and every single time, she received a short, sometimes one-word, reply from one of the members of µ's on how humorous or exciting the post was, and...nothing more. Umi hadn't posted in two months, and Kotori hadn't posted in three.

Were they ignoring her?

Was she not valued as a friend?

She started typing out a message to the group chat on her phone, but deleted it. She wasn't much in the mood for being ignored, or even the possibility of being ignored.

She needed to focus on getting a job. For the past 2 years, Nico had spent her life drifting between low-paid customer service jobs, unsure of where she was going or what she wanted; like a ghost, she'd moved through Akihabara without being noticed. Her last job was...4, 5 months ago? She couldn't remember. The word "hikikomori" came into her mind, but she ignored it. She didn't care anymore.

So much for the dream of being a super idol. Turning off the screen on her phone, Nico remembered performing at the Third Love Live years ago; it was wonderful. Even knowing µ's was only there by invitation of the Love Live organisers to help promote the show, It was the rush of her life for the third time, and for that one day, she felt immortal again. Before that, their historic win at the second Love Live. Even before that...the beginning.

It was the life she'd been forced to leave behind by the real world, and she felt resentment for it, resentment against a world that decided what she could and couldn't do on a whim. Nico felt like she was against the world, but one person alone couldn't fight the system.

Nico lost. Her hopes and dreams were void. Nobody had messaged her in a while and she had no friends to call her own, and nothing to her name that would be of use in the real world; there was nothing left for her here now. She had to start a new life.

Scanning her room for idol merchandise to sell off to raise money for her eventual moving house, Nico turned her phone screen back on, taking one more look at the group chat she planned to leave.

Thursday evening, February the 28th, 2013.

Nico Yazawa has left the group.

Friday evening, March the 1st, 2013.

Darkness had started to fall early in the evening under a blanket of clouds, and the skies of Akihabara drew a violent shade of grey, barraging the city with a torrential downpour of rain that showed no signs of letting up. Rain this heavy was rare in March, though two young girls chose to brave the weather to find their friend under a single umbrella. In the distance, a lightning bolt sounded with muffled thunder.

"Aww, it's so cosy and dry in here. You're the best, Maki-chan." Rin said, resting her head against Maki's shoulder.

"Rin, stop that! You're only under this umbrella because I let you."

"Come on, Maki-chaaaan, don't be a spoilsport. I want her to see pictures of our graduation! I worked so hard as Student Council President!"

"Calm down, Rin! I'm sure she'll explain everything when we get to her house. I'm just glad I brought a coat..."

There were few people in sight in this part of the city now, and those without an umbrella were running to the nearest cover they could find. In the distance behind them, very faintly, the bustle of commuters coming home from work could be heard trudging home, though barely any of it was heading in their direction.

Walking into the empty plaza, Maki saw the foot of an apartment building obscured by the roof of her umbrella; she looked up, making sure to keep the both of them covered, and there it was; Nico's apartment building. Most of the lights were on, making a striking contrast with a building exterior that camouflaged itself in the stormy sky.

Shaking off her now closed umbrella as she entered the building, Maki pointed Rin towards the stairs. "We have to dry off, so let's take the stairs. It'd be rude if we were to show up soaking wet."

"Aww, fine..." Rin said as she paused to look over to the elevator before heading towards the stairwell. The artificial yellow lighting of the stairwell activated upon their entry, and they made their way up, nervous for the encounter ahead. Even as they entered the hallway, the clinical yellow lighting loomed.

Coat over her arm, Maki knocked on the door, Rin standing behind her shoulder as ordered. After a few seconds, Nico's mother opened the door with a pleasant smile. Cotaro could be seen in the background, watching something.

"Hello! You must be Nico's friends from µ's. She's told me a lot about you all. You must be Maki and Rin. I'm sorry, but Nico isn't here right now. Is there anything you'd like me to tell her?"

"Hello, Miss Yazawa." Maki said, bowing with Rin. "Tell her to contact us as soon as she can. We're looking for her right now, that's all."

"I can definitely do that." Miss Yazawa replied, beaming. "I'll be sure to tell her when I can. Will that be all?"

"Yes, thank you, Miss Yazawa, that's all!" Maki said, bowing again. Rin bowed too, seeming disappointed that Nico wasn't there.

The two of them set off down the corridor again, wondering what Nico could be doing out in this weather. The wind still howled outside, and the rain was fierce as ever; this was not weather to be outside in.

"It's so close to graduation and Nico-chan's not going to see anything. She switched off her phone, she's left the group chat, Kotori-chan's moved to somewhere else in Japan, Eli-chan and Nozomi-chan are gone too, we don't talk to Umi-chan and Honoka-chan much anymore, and nobody's going to be around to see me as the leaving Student Council President at the graduation ceremony."

Rin's characteristic speech patterns started to disappear in a state of pessimistic clarity as she looked at her reflection in the floor, and felt her eyes well up.

"Nobody's going to be around to see me, Maki-chan..."

Tears started to fall, hitting the ground audibly with each drop.

Maki put her arm around Rin's shoulder and drew her in sympathetically.

"Calm down, Rin..."

Rin suddenly burst out with a wail and she started to sob uncontrollably. Maki's eyes widened with shock, unsure of what to do; after three seconds she brought Rin in for a full consolation. Maki stood there motionless, not sure if she was doing the right thing at all, afraid of making it worse. Rin buried herself into Maki's shoulder. Maki knew how much Rin had been worrying over her exams and her graduation speech on top of all her other work as both a Student Council President and a graduating student. She knew that it didn't take much to break Rin with as much work as that pressuring her.

Saturday morning, March the 9th, 2013.

Nico watched the moving men set down the last box in the middle of the central room of her new apartment, taking a moment to look out the window; it wasn't much, but it was a change of pace. A small apartment in Shibuya was all she could afford with what she had, but with all the idol merchandise she'd sold online and all the overtime she'd worked on previous jobs she'd just about managed to save enough. Here, she could live peacefully, free of the pain her past life had caused her. It had taken her a monumental struggle to convince her family to not tell anybody where she lived now (on the condition that they visit), but she'd made it here now. A bold move, to be sure, but it was what was best for her - this was what she wanted to believe - but deep down, she knew she'd doomed herself to a future of depression, drifting between jobs and pushing away potential close friends.

A part of her doubted what she'd done, but there was no going back now. Was she heartless? Had she been hasty?

Nico suppressed the question that kept bubbling to the surface of her mind as best she could, to a limited degree of success.

Keeping her gaze firmly outside of her own apartment, Nico finally gave up and allowed her thoughts to swallow her up and become her.

"Was I reckless?"

* * *

 **µ's**

Saturday afternoon, August the 10th, 2024.

For a moment lasting forever, µ's stood in sullen silence. Nico and Rin seemed unsure of where to look, having told their parts of the story already. The look on Nico's face had softened considerably; gone was her glare and her sour expression. She continued looking down, and for the first time, Nico felt uncomfortable being the centre of attention of µ's.

"I'm sorry, Nico." Umi said. "I should have been there for you."

Nico sighed. "No...it's my fault. I avoided you all."

"Don't be hard on yourself, Nico." Nozomi said. "We're here for you now, and as I promised, you get to pick wherever we go. So, where do you want to eat? I could eat anywhere right now."

Nico's stomach rumbled. As usual, she hadn't had breakfast, and had spent what felt like eternity making the journey - she wasn't in any position to refuse food, and she wanted food now.

"Well...could we go to the fast food place we used to go to?"

Nozomi patted Nico's shoulder and started ambling forward. "That's my Nico. Honoka, we're following you."

Honoka walked to the front of the pack with Umi and continued Nozomi's slow pace.

"Doesn't anybody want to drop off their suitcases?" Umi said, awaiting the others to exit the ticket gates.

"I've already got that covered." Maki replied as they exited the station to see a sharply dressed man with slicked-back grey and black hair standing outside a black, decently sized shuttle van, holding a sign saying "Nishikino".

Maki overtook Honoka and Umi quickly as she faced the man and bowed.

"Thank you, Sana-kun. Here, let me help you." Maki motioned to the members of µ's to hand their suitcases. One by one they set them down next to Maki, as she and Sana carried the suitcases into the back.

"Will you be taking the shuttle home, Nishikino-sama?" Sana asked, bowing reverently.

"I think we'll be heading into Akihabara, so you can go ahead and take the suitcases home. Just move them into the lobby, we'll move them when we get back. Thank you, Sana."

They bowed once more to each other, and Sana drove off towards the Nishikino residence.

"Let's go." Maki said, rejoining the pack.

"You're still a princess at heart, aren't you, Maki." Nozomi teased from behind her.

"What can I say? I like luxuries." Maki shot back, a knowing look in her face.

"Aww, you're no fun to tease anymore."

"You're a rich girl like me now, Nozomi. Welcome to the club."

The streets outside were bustling, and the nine of them had to stick close to each other to avoid getting swept away. The central Akihabara brand of walls of company logos and advertisements on the walls of the buildings was ever-present, and even the benches had no free spaces.

"I hope we can get seats at the restaurant." Hanayo murmured, shuffling behind Kotori.

Eli turned her head and did a headcount. Nine people. "Stay close, everyone. The last thing I want is one of you getting lost."

"I wonder if we're still famous here." Kotori mused.

"Not many people notice me anymore..." Honoka replied.

"I like it that way." Umi said.

The walk to the restaurant took twice as long as expected; the combination of heavy resistance from crowds, cars and having to co-ordinate nine people meant that the trip time increased to 25 minutes from what was usually 10 minutes, and was punctuated by various members of the group stopping to observe a shop they hadn't seen before, an advertisement for something they were unaware of on the big screens, a change in scenery from the last time they'd been there.

The restaurant was busy, but not too busy; the queue reached around three quarters of the way to the entrance.

"It looks a little busy in here. Are you sure we can't find somewhere else, Honoka?" Kotori said.

"I saw a McDonald's outside the station. Why couldn't we have gone there?" Rin said, almost as hungry as Nico.

"The queue went outside the door. There's no way we could have waited that long for food." Eli replied.

"Well, Nico said she wanted to come here, so here we are." Nozomi said, defending Nico's choice. "Does everyone know what they want?"

The nine of them proceeded to look at the menu above the counter with varying degrees of concentration; Eli and Hanayo kept one hand on their glasses, struggling to make out the words at the other end of the restaurant.

Eli put her hand on Rin's shoulder, determined to read the menu like the others without glasses. She squinted with increasing intensity in a desperate attempt to make the words obey her, but to no avail.

"Rin, could you read the deals menu for me? I can't read that."

Rin obeyed and read off the details with no pause or error without any changes in body language whatsoever, embarrassing Eli slightly.

"Your vision is that bad already, Eli?" Rin said with a hint of worry in her voice, eyes fixed on Eli now.

"It's only recently I've needed glasses. It's been getting harder to read things lately." Eli replied.

"You shouldn't be having these problems at your age, unless your lifestyle's changed drastically since we last met", Maki said, "I'd be more than happy to examine you if you're ever in Kyoto, maybe even this week at home."

"Ah, it's fine. I just need better glasses. Don't worry about me." Eli said, now desperate to take the heat off her, unwilling to be reminded of what lay ahead in her future.

"Anyway, I know what I want and the queue's going to be a while", Maki said, opening a new line of thought, "And I saw a Sanrio store I've never seen before, so I'm headed off to buy something. Nozomi, if I'm not back by the time you order, get the American burger meal. I'll be back."

"Wait, Maki, can I go with you? I want to go too!" Hanayo shouted over the noise of the restaurant, struggling to be seen behind Nozomi.

Maki reached into the group and pulled Hanayo out by the arm gently. "Let's go."

Fifteen minutes of casual conversation, complaints about the high volume of people in Akihabara and several glances from people in the restaurant followed. By the time Maki and Hanayo returned, Hello Kitty-branded bags in hand, there were three people in front of the group, and several more to the side, waiting for their order.

"So, what did you buy?" Eli asked over her shoulder.

Hanayo reached into her bag and brought out the corner of some pink clothes, as well as something plastic. "I got some pyjamas and some hairclips."  
"Maki?"

"I'm not saying."

"Oh, really?" Eli snarked.

"I'm not telling you what I bought."

"There's the Maki I remember." Nozomi said over her shoulder, taking great pleasure in being able to tease Maki again.

"You're loving this, aren't you, Nozomi?"

"Of course I am."

Maki turned to see Honoka attempting to silently pry open the edges of her Hello Kitty bag. Without any further noise, Honoka very slowly withdrew her hands, her eyes giving Maki the best apologetic look they could muster.

"I didn't see anything, I swear, Maki."

"It's our turn to order now, pay attention." Hanayo interrupted.

Another ten minutes and a trial to find nine adjacent free spaces later, µ's was finally seated, much to the discomfort of the people in the queue hoping for a seat.

Nico finished her meal in record time; she was done before Honoka even started on her fries.

"Rin..." Nico said.

"I didn't say it earlier, but...I'm sorry. I didn't know how you felt."

Nico looked down at her tray, then smiled weakly at Rin, who had just finished her meal. Rin saw hope in her eyes.

"Hey, Rin...will you tell me how your graduation went?"

Rin put down her drink, and looked down at the table, recollecting her memories.

"Sure thing, Nico."

* * *

 **End of an Era**

Tuesday morning, March the 5th, 2013.

The sky was a magnificent azure; white clouds dotted the sky, but there was no sign of the rain that had plagued the Tokyo skies only days ago. Cherry blossom season had started to hit its stride, and on their last day at Otonokizaka High School, Rin, Maki, and Hanayo were showered in pink blossoms by the streets of Akihabara on their last walk to school together.

"Rin-chan, are you sure you've gotten enough sleep? You look tired...were you up all night writing your graduation speech?"

Rin yawned. "I'm fine, Kayochin...I just..." She yawned again, moving the hair covering her eye to the side.

"You have to wake up now, Rin...today's graduation day and it won't look good if you're yawning on stage." Maki said.  
"I'm not going to miss all this work...I hope Miho-chan knows what she's doing."

"You _are_ tired, Rin. Hanayo, do you know anything we might be able to try?"

"I'm sorry, Maki-chan. She has to wake up on her own."

"That's fine, Hanayo. We still have the walk to school to go."

The walk didn't do much to wake Rin up; the cherry blossoms gave the streets a dream-like atmosphere that made Rin sleepy. She'd stayed up until 1am the day before to finish her graduation speech before falling asleep at her desk, against Hanayo and Maki's advice to the contrary.

At the gates to Otonokizaka, the three of them rendezvoused and exchanged greetings with Alisa Ayase, Eli's little sister, Yukiho Kousaka, Honoka's little sister, and Miho Hirose, the girl Rin had chosen as her successor as Student Council President.  
"Are you ready for today, Rin-chan?" Alisa said, unaware of Rin's current state.

Rin rubbed her eyes, slow to formulate a response.

"She stayed up late to finish her speech." Maki interjected on Rin's behalf. "She's really tired, and we don't know how to wake her up."

Miho walked a full circle around Rin, hands on Rin's shoulders, searching high and low her for answers.

"Miho-chan...what are you doing?" Rin said cautiously.

"Rin-chan, did you have anything for breakfast today?"

"I had a slice of toast..."

"Rin, we were outside when you left your house. You folded up a piece of dry bread and shoved it into your mouth." Maki said. "It took you 30 seconds to eat it."

"I woke up late, Maki-chan, I'm sorry..."

"Hang on, Rin-chan! I have something!"

Yukiho reached into her bag, and pulled out a bottle of water and a bag of red bean paste mochi. "I haven't opened the water yet, so you have it. You need it more than I do."

Rin turned her head inquisitively. "Did you make this, Yukiho-chan?"

"I did, with the help of my mother!"

Rin took a sip of water, and slowly bit into a piece of mochi.

"Yukiho-chan...this is so good! Thank you so much!"  
Rin hugged Yukiho in gratitude, feeling much more awake.

Rin held out the bag of mochi to everyone in offering. All of them except Hanayo politely refused, but thanked Rin anyway.

"So you've woken up, now, Rin-chan?" Miho said.

"Definitely! Now let's go, we have work to do!"

Without waiting for a reaction, Rin sprinted into the school, barrelling through the double doors; the five still standing at the gates shared glances with each other in confusion, eventually making way for hopeless laughter.  
Preparations for the graduation ceremony went largely without a hitch; Miho had requested light refreshments which had been delivered before they'd even arrived, and in her hand, Rin held her graduation speech.

"Can I see your speech, Rin-chan?" Yukiho asked.

"Nope! It's going to be a surprise." Rin answered proudly.

A young student, likely first year, meekly walked up to Rin slowly, holding a small cylindrical vase containing some plants.  
"Um...I never saw you in µ's, but I think you were wonderful. Uhm...thank you for everything you've done."

She handed the vase to Rin and walked away just as meekly as she'd made her entrance. Rin observed the flowers; an intricate arrangement containing healthy-looking leaves and flowers she mostly didn't recognise at all. There was no label anywhere, and the only flowers she did identify were daffodils and bluebell buds, but it was clearly a carefully thought out, beautiful arrangement.  
"She must be from the ikebana club..." Mused Hanayo.

"Wait!" Rin shouted. The young girl stopped dead, statue-like for a second, before turning around to face Rin, her face a mix of hope and fear.

"Hanayo, Miho, Yukiho, come here."

Rin wrapped her arms around the girl softly, and the other three followed suit, forming a delicate group hug.

"I'm going to miss you all." Said Rin.

The four of them disengaged, and Rin proudly held her vase with an uncontrollable smile.

"Good luck. And thank you."

The young girl nodded happily and sauntered off towards her friend, waiting at the door to the hall.  
Rin sighed, and looked around the hall, knowing that someday, it would all be a memory, and that she could lose Maki, Hanayo, Alisa, Yukiho and Miho just as easily as she'd lost the other 6 members of µ's.

"Miho-chan, could you take over? I'm going to go for a walk."

Miho nodded.

The noticeboards that used to have flyers for µ's concerts on them, the noticeboard she first saw a flyer for µ's, the place in the corridor where there was a suggestion box for the name of the then-untitled idol group. The windows she'd always look out of during lesson change. The quad she used to be in all the time with the rest of µ's; the bench she used to sit in, the tree she'd sometimes sit under, the place the rabbits used to play while they were still there. The rabbits never did much like Rin...

The alpaca shed. Rin never got on well with the alpacas either, but Kotori and Hanayo loved them, and the alpacas loved them too. Even the rabbits sometimes entered the barn without much problem, even if they weren't meant to...

Finally, the roof. Where she thought it started and once, where it all ended. Being here for purposes other than practice still felt wrong to her, but she had to say goodbye.

"You're here too, Rin?"

Maki was standing just outside the door, leaning against the wall and staring down through the fence before she'd turned around.

"Yeah...I'm going to miss this place..."

"Join the club, Rin. We put so many hours into this roof. It used to be _our_ place, the one part of the school we felt truly comfortable."

"I guess...but isn't it everyone's roof? It belongs to the school."

"Sigh...you know what I mean, you dummy."

Maki walked up to the fence on the far side of the roof, away from the door, and looked down on the field. No specific memories came to mind, but she remembered everything.

The sullen mood was broken by Yukiho bursting through the door. "Rin-chan, Maki-chan, we're almost ready to start! Hurry up or we'll be late!"

The rest of Rin, Hanayo and Maki's day was a blur, barely paying attention to the events they'd made happen.

They remembered entering the hall at the front of the line, the eyes of the student hall trained on them.

Introductions, speeches, applause, the rest was lost to memory.

The time for Rin's speech finally arrived. Her legs brought her to the front of the stage, and as the spotlight illuminated her, she became very aware of the hundreds, maybe thousands of eyes watching her. For a moment, she believed she might succumb to stage fright.

From within some unseen well inside her, Rin felt strength. She'd been determined to say thank you to the school that helped her grow. She realised she wasn't alone as she saw faces she'd recognised all along in the crowd; Hanayo. Miho. Alisa and Yukiho. Rio. Ana. She breathed in.

"The graduating student address from the former student council president, Rin Hoshizora.

I can't believe it's been this long already...

It seems like only yesterday I was a first year joining an idol group because I thought it'd be fun.

I've grown so much more with you all since then, and you've all grown with me too!

Congratulations to the other upperclassmen on your graduation, too. You were with me every step of the way.

Miho, Hanayo, Maki, Alisa, Yukiho. Thank you in particular for everything.

I couldn't have made it this far if I tried without you all...

In the three years I was here, I blossomed. I found my confidence, and I shone brightly.

I hope it's the same for the rest of you, too.

It's been an amazing journey, but instead of crying because it's over, I'll smile because it happened instead!

I'll admit...I couldn't think of much else to write.

But like those before me, I have something that comes straight from the heart.

A song that represents maturity, and evolving. I hope you enjoy it too."

Rin looked and nodded at Maki, in position at the piano, and Maki's hands moved elegantly in a soft, sweet yet wistful reprisal of her own song on the piano: Love Wing Bell.

Maki let her hands flow like water across the piano for the brief intro, before the lights started to dim.

For the first time in a long while, Rin sang. Her singing voice hadn't changed; instead, it had matured with her.

Paired with Maki's soft piano playing, this growth took on elements of a more mature, hushed touch in the back of her voice, a far cry from the standard excited shout she always used to talk with, now the voice of a sweet young woman about to make her way into the real world.

It felt so natural to them - Rin and Maki had both practiced for a solid week for this performance and to their surprise, Rin's singing voice was better than it ever was - she'd improved under pressure, like a diamond.

Even with her back to Maki, Rin was without error - her graceful motions synchronised with Maki's movements across the keys, in tune as always.

Rin had been through a lot in the last month, but she knew she had to stay strong.

Last night, she'd found herself short of things to write for her speech, and so decided instead on something that represented everything she wanted to express, in a song.

Her song!

She remembered all the people that had ever helped her get where she was, and a smile bloomed on her face;

She held hope in her voice for all those watching her today, that they would one day be happy with friends like she was.

Holding out her heart for all to see and for all to learn from, Rin radiated love, filling the auditorium, sinking into the hearts of the crowd;

As graduating ex-student council president, Rin's movements slowed as she moved back to centre stage with thankful tears in her eyes...

 _"Love wing...love wing..."_

* * *

 **New Idol Metric**

Saturday afternoon, August the 10th, 2024.

By now, the entire table had stopped eating and was listening, rapt, to Rin's description of her graduation.

Both Rin and Nico were oblivious; although there was a noticeable silence around the table after Rin finished talking, it went unnoticed until a sniffle broke the silence, and Rin looked to her left to see all of µ's staring intently at her, to her shock.

"Rin..." Kotori said, breaking the silence.

"I remember seeing your photos on the group chat before we all left...but I never knew you were so happy back then." Umi added.

"Nico, are you okay?" Kotori said.  
"I'm not crying! I'm fine!" Nico snapped back, wiping her eyes.

"I have to wonder, Umi. Have you or Honoka seen Miho since you graduated?" Rin asked.

"I haven't, no." Umi replied. "She lived on the other side of Otonokizaka like you did, so I'm not in her area."

Conversations about Miho and other old friends ensued across the table; meanwhile, Hanayo, seated next to Nico, leaned in sympathetically.

"Hey, Nico...are you doing okay?"

Nico murmured inaudibly, still wiping her eyes.

"Do you want anything else to eat?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you, Hanayo." Nico did not appear sad by any stretch now, simply tired.

"You said you don't follow idols any more. Do you want me to show you some of what's been happening in the last few years?"

"Sure."

Hanayo fished her phone out her pocket and unlocked it, immediately switching to the browser app. "Let's see...Moso Calibration, Saint Snow, Tokyo Girl's Style...ah!"

"AKB48 are still very popular. Were you ever into them, Nico?"

"I didn't really care much about AKB48." Nico replied, shaking her head.

"Ah, okay..." Hanayo paused, tapping in some more things onto her phone. "BABYMETAL are very interesting...they're heavy metal idols."

"Heavy metal idols?" Nico replied, a mystified look on her face.

"No, no, they're really popular! I've heard nothing but good things about them."

"I just don't understand how you can combine heavy metal and idols."

"They've been going for a few years now, so it does work! How about...oh! Here's one that was inspired by us! Aqours!"

Nico suddenly brightened up, sat up and reached for Hanayo's phone. "Inspired by us? Let me see, let me see!"

Hanayo moved her phone away from Nico with a disapproving look. "Now, Nico, don't try to snatch my phone. Be polite."

"Um...could I see, please?"

"Very well, Nico." Hanayo said, handing her phone gently to Nico.

"Whoa...they were way more popular than us when they started out...I'm not sure if this is an old video, but Chika reminds me so much of Honoka..."

"There were certainly a lot of Honoka comparisons when Aqours were starting out", Hanayo said, "and there were 9 of them, after all, just like us."

"Ohhh...Guilty Kiss looks interesting. They remind me of BiBi."

"If they remind you of BiBi, they could have been taking after you, Nico."

This had the effect Hanayo intended; Nico's face lit up at the idea that she could have inspired somebody to do something, that she had a legacy.

"Did you know that A-RISE is still going?"

Honoka jolted out of her conversation for a brief moment and her head jerked ever so slightly to her right to pay attention to whoever was talking about A-RISE, before quickly focusing back on her conversation.

"A-RISE?! You mean not only did they not quit, they're still going?!"

"It says they played a show here two months ago!" Nico continued, incredulous. Honoka secretly listened in on their conversation, dividing her attention between their conversation and the one she was drifting in and out of.

"A-RISE played in this city and I missed it?!" Hanayo had gotten caught up in Nico's fervour. Just like old times, the two of them getting increasingly worked up over idols and A-RISE.

It felt strange to Honoka, hearing a member of µ's talking about A-RISE that way. It didn't sound like something coming from someone who had bested A-RISE once before, and eventually gained their admiration. If only she could turn back time, and feel the thrill of facing off against A-RISE one more time...

Honoka was snapped out of her reverie by the sounds of chairs scraping against the restaurant floor, and trays clacking against the table.

"Are we leaving, Nozomi?" Honoka asked, still sitting down.

"Yep, we're leaving. We're going to go stroll around Akihabara and see what's now. Hopefully, you can show us what's happened in the last few years."

Nozomi looked over to Nico.

"But first, where do you want to go next, Nico?"

"Hmm..."

They were still learning to gel together after so many years of change, but µ's spent all day in central Akihabara. Perusals in Tower Records, a casual walk along the Sumida River, a visit to a Korean restaurant for dinner, and a aimless stroll around the city to walk off their meal.

Not many words were exchanged, and for the most part everyone talked to the people they always talked to, but it was what Honoka would consider a success; by the time Maki had called Sana for a shuttle ride back to her family home, the majority of them got in a few minutes of sleep on the journey there. Darkness was falling when they arrived.

"Maki...if you don't mind, could you show us to our rooms? And if possible, could me and Nozomi have a room with double beds?" Eli asked less than a minute after they'd entered the door. The other seven nodded in agreement without a word, taking a moment to look around before they retired to bed.

"Of course. If you don't mind, I wasn't expecting you and Nozomi to be together, so finding a room with a double bed might take a little bit longer."

"That's okay. Let me help all of you with your suitcases."

The end of the evening was a quiet affair. Most of them were interested only in going to bed, and few of them said anything bar the standard pleasantries, and the dimmed lights in the corridors of the house reflected this atmosphere. The noise on the streets outside had mostly subsided, and the tourist swarms had disappeared for the day, having checked into hotels or gone home for the day. wheeling Kotori's suitcase behind her and saying her final goodnight, Maki retired to her own room, surrounded by the silence of the mostly empty house.

It felt lonely.

That night, barring Eli and Nozomi, µ's slept in separate rooms, bathed in silence.


	4. Akihabara Sunday Interlude

**Notes:** Sorry it took an entire week to write an interlude. Let's chalk that one up to personal and health issues. Nothing serious.

There is a bit of romance; not so much. Pairings are not really what this story is about.

The next chapter might take a while. I'm doing some restructuring work on the story. No BIG reshuffles planned, but it's still quite an undertaking.

Thank you all!

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Akihabara Sunday Interlude**

 **Akihabara Haze**

Sunday afternoon, August the 11th.

Sunlight pierced the curtains of the bedroom and crept in through the gaps, casting a faint halo in the area around the window and highlighting a thin, faint veil of swirling dust around the curtains. Hanayo reached for the bedside desk and put on her glasses, setting the duvet off herself and sitting up. She picked up the phone from the bedside desk and checked the time.

12:41pm.

Had she really been asleep for that long? (And more importantly, were her new Hello Kitty pyjamas really that comfortable?)

She exited her room, and walked down the corridor towards the way she hoped the living room was, rubbing her eyes. A minute's walk later, she heard two voices coming from ahead: Honoka and Nozomi. The TV was on, though Hanayo couldn't hear what the TV or either of the two ahead were saying. She headed forward into the living room to see two figures bathed in sunlight from the windows on the wall: Honoka in frilly yellow pyjamas, and Nozomi with her hair down in a lavender robe sitting on the sofa closest to the TV, facing each other and talking about something. Hanayo couldn't tell, because they both turned to face her the moment they heard her coming in.

"Good morning, Hanayo. Or should that be, good afternoon." Nozomi said, quickest on the draw.

"Morning, Hanayo!" Honoka said. "Wow, those Hello Kitty pyjamas are really cute..."

"Aww, thank, you, Honoka. They're really comfortable too."

Hanayo sat down on the sofa closest to her, which happened to be the unoccupied one furthest from the TV.

"Aw, come on, Hanayo, don't be a stranger." Nozomi said, tucking her legs back underneath her and she laid back on the corner of the sofa. "Come sit over here."

Nozomi lay her hand on space on the sofa between her and Honoka, looking at Hanayo expectantly like a cat wanting attention.

Hanayo complied, and moved to the other sofa, crossing her legs comfortably.

"Where are the others?" She asked.

"Ah...I think they all went out already. Maki left this note on the table." Honoka said, handing Hanayo a piece of paper. On the paper was instructions as to where all the important rooms in the house were, and that all the fridges, freezers and cupboards were full of food and drink for anybody to have.

"Didn't either of you feel like going out?"

"Nah, I was exhausted from the flight from Sapporo, and it felt nice to get to lie in without being crushed by Eli. She might look delicate, and she's usually nice, but when she gets cuddly, she gets _cuddly..._ " Nozomi replied, her arm resting on the back of the sofa.

Hanayo looked at Honoka.

"I just like sleeping in." Honoka conceded with an unapologetic smile on her face.

"I won't judge, Honoka", Hanayo said as she searched for the remote, "I slept in far later than you did. Maki's beds are so comfortable..."  
Hanayo found the remote, and took a moment to survey the buttons. She brought up the channel list; they were currently on one of the JSports channels, showing tennis highlights. Nothing interesting.

"Hanayo, give me the remote. Let me look." Nozomi said. She moved to Hanayo to take the remote from her, but was stopped in her tracks by a single disapproving glance from Hanayo, Nozomi's facial expression turning soft in surprise. Hanayo ruffled Nozomi's hair and lay back in her space in the sofa, scrolling down the channel list.

"Ah, Titanic's on in 15 minutes! I think that would be a nice Sunday afternoon movie." Hanayo mused, looking at Honoka and Nozomi for approval. "What do you both think about that?"

Honoka and Nozomi nodded their heads to the side, as if to say "sure, why not".

"But first, I'm hungry. I'm going to make some fried rice for lunch. Do either of you want any?"

"Oh boy, do I! Let me help!" Honoka said, shooting up before Hanayo had even finished getting up herself. Hanayo saw Nozomi stand up to her right. "I'll help too, Hanayo."

Hanayo smiled in excitement out of reflex, unable and unwilling to make any other facial expression. "This is going to be good!"

"Ohh...Maki's fridge is fancy." Honoka said, observing it; it was the type of fridge that had a small alcove in it for dispensing drinks and ice. After spending a minute finding the glasses cupboard, she poured herself a drink of water from the fridge for the sheer novelty of it.

"Okay, Honoka, you get the carrots, peas, eggs and butter." Hanayo said, moving back towards the doorway of the kitchen. "Nozomi, you get the oil, sesame oil, soy sauce and all the utensils and cutlery we need. I'll go fetch some rice from my bag. I've been waiting for this."

Hanayo marched out the door, leaving Honoka and Nozomi to carry out their instructions. Honoka found the carrots and peas in the fridge eventually, but was distracted by various other items inside.

"Hey, Nozomi! Maki's got some berry flavoured Fanta in here!"

Nozomi turned around, her hand left absentmindedly in the cupboard. "Really? I've never seen that in this country before. Maybe we can have some of that later, when you're done finding everything."

"Ah, sure! Sorry, Nozomi!"

Honoka took another 10 seconds to close the fridge door and refill her glass of water, marvelling again at the high-end appliances Maki's kitchen had.

Hanayo returned, and after some more direction on Honoka's end, their assigned tasks were completed (with some help from Hanayo.)

"What now, Hanayo?" Nozomi asked.

"First, let's chop the carrots. Honoka, you separate the rice."

Nozomi washed up some carrots and set them onto the board. She peeled it slowly, cut the top off, and cut the carrot into rectangular sticks just as slowly as she'd peeled them.

"Here, let me show you." Hanayo took hold of Nozomi's hand, and moved it towards almost the edge of the carrot. "You're going to want to slice it thinly. Move your other hand..."

She moved Nozomi's other hand down onto the carrot sticks. "Here, so you can cut steadily. Bring the knife down quickly over and over to cut it into pieces." Hanayo moved one hand to the tip of the knife and with her other hand, moved the hand Nozomi was holding the knife with down swiftly in succession on the carrot sticks, chopping them into small squares.

"That's how you do it!"

"Thanks, Hanayo." Nozomi said, slowly but confidently dicing the carrots.

"Okay, Honoka. You turn on..."

Hanayo was interrupted mid-sentence by the sight of Honoka proudly waiting for further instructions by the stovetop, having already heated up the wok and put in the oil and separated rice. In her right hand she held an oily wooden spatula.

"I work fast too, Hanayo! I do work in a bakery, after all."

"Wow...I think if we were making anything else, you'd be better than I am at this." Hanayo walked over and inspected the rice. "That's good!"

Hanayo turned back round to see Nozomi happily awaiting instructions. "What next, Chef?"

"Mix the egg, sesame oil and soy sauce! We'll add the peas and carrots to the rice when the rice is golden."

Honoka stepped over to the fridge and took out a can of berry Fanta. "Do you want any, Hanayo, Nozomi?"

"No thanks, Honoka."

"I'm fine, thank you, Honoka."

Honoka sat herself down on the chairs on the counter next to the stovetop, kicking her legs in the air while watching the rice, comfortably sipping away at her Fanta while Hanayo made sure everything was in order and Nozomi cleaned the items they weren't using. Before Honoka knew it, the rice was cooked, and so she added in the peas, carrots and the egg mixture, waited for the egg to set and stirred briskly, drizzling the rice in sesame oil.

Hanayo and Nozomi looked on over Honoka's shoulders, enthralled by her technique. Several minutes of stirring and tossing later, and it was done; one large serving of egg fried vegetable rice, split into three servings. Hanayo practically ran back to the living room to sit back down in her seat, eagerly awaiting Honoka and Nozomi, who sat down calmly. Honoka changed the channel, and set the remote down.

"Let's go!" Hanayo said.

In eager unison, the three of them prepared for their meal.

"Itadakimasu!"

Hanayo's frenzy saw the rice disappear in less than a minute. She put down her bowl on the coffee table and lay back in her seat on the sofa, sighing contentedly. Honoka and Nozomi ate at a steady pace, their eyes split between the rice and the film.

Eventually, Hanayo's eyes started to grow heavy from such a full meal, and for the next 5 minutes she sunk into her chair, deeper into sleep...

Hanayo fell asleep. Switching positions to make herself more comfortable, Honoka propped herself up against Hanayo's stationary shoulder, finishing her rice and reaching out to put her bowl on the table. Nozomi watched Honoka and did the same, tucking her legs under herself the opposite way, leaning against Hanayo's other shoulder, her hand lightly resting on Hanayo. She closed her eyes and let the background noise of the movie lull her to sleep.

Nozomi fell asleep.

Honoka continued watching comfortably, though she struggled to stay awake. Only a few minutes after Nozomi, Honoka fell asleep, and the three of them slept together on the same sofa, their heads rested together peacefully in the afternoon light.

* * *

 **Hanito**

Sunday morning, August the 11th.

"So, what are you getting when we order, Eli?"

"Oh, you know what I'm getting, Umi."

"You don't mean..."

"Come on, Umi. You know I want some Honey Toast. Maki, are you feeling adventurous?"

"I might try some if you order."

"Oh, really, Maki?"

"You know you're not going to finish all of it."

The Honey Toast Café emanated elegance; chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a subtle yellow glow on the tables underneath, and the laminated wooden floor was pristine; clean enough to see your reflection, and floor-to-ceiling glass windows surrounded the place, and the smell of various freshly baked goods wafted throughout the place. Eli, Maki and Umi sat at one of the tables in the middle of the seating area; surprisingly, despite the Obon period, there were few other people seated, and so the cafe took on a slow Sunday morning atmosphere.

"Okay, I'm going to order now. What do you two want?" Eli said, menu in her hands.

"I'll just get a coffee. Get me an espresso, could you, please?" Maki said.

"Just a cappuccino for me, please." Umi replied.

"I'll be back shortly. The coffee's on me!" And with that, Eli left the table to order, leaving only Umi and Maki. An uncomfortable silence lasting a few seconds, followed. Umi and Maki held their poker faces, and Maki broke the silence.

"I'm surprised this place is so quiet, especially on Obon..."

"It could be because it's very early right now." Umi took out her phone and turned on the screen. "It isn't even half past eight right now. Maybe everyone's still in bed because it's a Sunday morning."

"Hah, yeah."

Maki and Umi both looked down at the table silently for a few seconds.

Umi sighed heavily.

"Maki."

Maki immediately raised her head to Umi, looking alert; she knew what was coming.

"I think we should talk."

Maki could have sworn she felt her core temperature lower.

"T-talk? What are you talking about?"

Umi looked back down at the table nervously, her face red from fear and embarrassment. "You know what I'm talking about, Maki. I'm sorry, but this is the only time we'll have to talk about this."

"Umi..."

Umi's hands started to tremble, and it took everything she had to prevent it from getting worse. She started to regret bringing it out into the open.

"Kyoto, 2019...you remember, don't you, Maki?"

Looking away, Maki nodded; it was her last clear memory of Umi, and she'd been thinking about it ever since, unsure if Umi really felt that way, or whether it was a mistake she'd made. Right now, she second-guessed her initial feelings, then third-guessed and guessed to infinity about Umi's true feelings. She'd waited for Umi to speak first, but Umi did the same, and so they just...lost contact.

Umi steeled herself and tried again; "Did it mean anything?"

Even though it had been five years, but Maki knew it did, but couldn't bring herself to say yes.

"Well...I don't know."

Umi said nothing.

"But...maybe it's too early to find out. We only met for the first time in five years yesterday. I won't say yes...and I won't say no."

Maki took a moment to breathe, her pulse steadying.

"But how about this? Let's talk again, at the end of the week and see how we feel. If it's there, then maybe we'll go out together. Does that sound good to you?"

Umi sighed again, reacting with a multitude of emotions towards Maki: disappointment, relief, irritation, and happiness; for a moment, she felt these emotions spike, then wash away as she felt calm wash over her. Maki cared about her, at least. She didn't have the information she needed, but it was a start.

"Very well."

Maki put her hand on Umi's resting hand and held it, smiling warmly. "Come on, Umi, cheer up. Eli should be almost ready to order by now, and we'll have coffee soon."

Colour returned to Umi's face, blushing slightly, and her posture returned.

"Thank you, Maki."

"While we're waiting, why don't I show you some photos of the Daimonji Festival from last year? Here, come over this side."

Umi moved around the table and sat next to Maki, leaning in to see the screen of Maki's phone. "Oh...are those bonfires?"

"Yep, giant ones on the mountains!"

"Oh, I see! It's much clearer in this photo."

A few minutes later, Eli returned with a spring in her careful step, delicately carrying three cups of coffee. She handed Umi and Maki their cappuccino and espresso, and set down her latte on the table, sitting down.

"The honey toast will be ready in ten minutes." Eli shot them a devilish look. "Prepare yourselves."

Maki shot Eli the exact same look; "Are _you_ ready, Eli?"

The two of the continued their mock staredown for 5 seconds before Eli broke composure in light laughter, sitting straight in her seat again, sighing contentedly. "Akihabara really is nice in the morning, isn't it?"

"It's wonderful", Umi said, taking a large sip of her coffee, "This could be the only time in the week that we can experience such tranquillity."

"Ah, I'm not so sure about tranquillity, Umi", Maki replied, drinking her coffee in kind, "I'm feeling like I might want to go to the arcade later if I can handle the hanito."

"TAITO Station, Tokyo Leisure Land or Club SEGA?" Eli said. "Or is there better out there, Umi?"

"Sorry, Eli, I wouldn't know. I don't go to the arcade."

"Let's go to Tokyo Leisure Land. Maybe we could have a dance-off if we can..." Maki purred, issuing a challenge to both Eli and Umi; inspired by Eli's spirit and her coffee, she felt yet another burst of adventurous spirit.

"Ah, you're on, Maki...I'm just glad we can have the arcades at this time of day."

Umi spoke up, sipping her coffee with fervour; "Kanda Myojin Shrine's wonderful this time of year too. I'm a miko there too sometimes, and this year's Kanda Festival was beautiful..."

Ten minutes of reminiscing about Akihabara's many landmarks and attractions later, the honey toast arrived; a loaf of bread with the inside scooped out and filled with vanilla ice cream, diced bread pieces, bananas, cream and chocolate syrup. The lid of the makeshift box was on the plate next to the it, and the ice cream almost doubled the height of the entire dessert, and the bread had the Honey Toast Café logo on its side. On the plate "Honey" was written in elegant writing in chocolate syrup, and the bread's "lid", and Eli was even provided with some honey to pour on the dessert.

Eli initially reacted with shock to her dessert; for 1200 yen, she wasn't expecting _this_ much. Umi looked even more mortified than Eli did; this was too much even for Eli and Maki.

Umi picked up the fondue fork, and Maki and Eli audibly reacted. Spurred on by their surprise, she drizzled the honey over the top of the ice cream and carefully scooped out a medium sized piece of ice cream, making the first mark in the dessert.

"Aww, look at you, taking little bites all prim and proper like an elegant woman." Teased Eli.

Umi glared, shooting Eli a deadpan look before driving her fork into the ice cream and taking out a large chunk of banana ice cream and eating it whole, getting ice cream around her mouth, and Eli and Maki squeaked in laughter.

Nowhere near as elegant as the last mouthful, Umi continued looking Eli in the eyes as she ate the ice cream.

"Well, it looks like we might finish this after all." Eli said, picking up a fondue fork and digging in. Maki did the same, fascinated by the complexity of the dessert.

"Wow, Eli, this dessert's really nice...I'm glad you brought us here."

"I did say I wanted to come here after all. How about we hit the arcades after this?"

"That sounds great, Eli."

* * *

 **Versus the World**

Sunday evening, August the 11th.

Dusk had come for Akihabara; the lighting in Maki's living room had shifted from daylight to the lamplight flooding the room from the walls, and the evening cicadas' buzz could be heard faintly from outside. The TV was switched to an unknown drama, and Eli and Hanayo sat facing each other on the sofa nearest to it, conversing; Hanayo still in her Hello Kitty pyjamas, and Eli in a thin light blue shirt and comfortable tracksuits, holding a glass of wine in her hand and her glasses in the other, arm resting on the back of the sofa against the wall.

Eli punctuated herself every so often with a miniscule sip of wine; "I would say it's more for tourists, but hasn't Akihabara always been that way?"

"That's why I prefer Chiba-ken. When the holidays arrive, it's easier to move around town."

"Isn't Chiba-ken still a little busy? It's right next to Tokyo, so it's very urbanised..."

"I don't mind Chiba-ken. Rin seems to like it too, so there has to be something about it."

Nozomi entered the room, holding two empty wine glasses and a half-full bottle of the red wine Eli was drinking.

"I've got wine~! Elicchi, Hanayo, want some?"

Hanayo raised her hand in polite declination, and Eli did the same, sipping her not yet empty glass of wine. Nozomi poured herself a glass and set down the bottle on the table, sitting behind Eli on the sofa and resting on her, putting the arm holding the wine glass against the back of the sofa and the wall, and the other around Eli. "Sapporo's slower and more relaxed, and that's why I love it. It's so much more...spiritual. The girls there are cute too, even if they're not as beautiful as Elicchi. And plus, I get to play in the snow at the Sapporo Snow Festival every winter."

"We went on a school trip to the Sapporo Snow Festival once. The kids loved it, but it was such a hassle keeping them away from the sculptures...Actually, on second thoughts, Nozomi, could I trouble you for a drink, please?"

"Sure."

Nozomi leaned to the table, reaching for the bottle of wine and empty glass, almost bringing Eli to the side with her; Eli righted herself to prevent herself spilling her wine all over Maki's sofa.

"Ah! Careful, Nozomi!"

"Sorry, Elicchi."

Nozomi had just handed Hanayo her glass of wine when the doorbell rang.

"Ah...looks like they're back." Eli said.

"I'll get it. You two look comfortable."

And with that, Hanayo set down her glass and headed towards the front door, and opened the front gates at the property's walls. After 10 seconds, there was a knock at the door, and Hanayo was greeted by Rin, Nico and Kotori, all holding shopping bags from various outlets, looking exhausted but happy. Hanayo opened the door all the way and stood back, allowing them in before she shut the door again.

"Hello! It looks like you had fun."

Rin set down her bags and sat down on the floor, eventually laying down breathless and sighing; "We did so much shopping..."

"She danced nonstop at the arcades." Nico said.

"It was amazing, though!" Kotori exclaimed. "We went to Electric Town, we went to Club SEGA, we went to Tokyo Leisure Land, we ate at a nice ramen place...we even met Eli, Umi and Maki for a few minutes."

"Nico almost beat me at the dance machines..." Rin said from the floor. Hanayo successfully hid her shock that Nico could push Rin to her limits without burning herself out, but took a moment to examine Nico up and down.

"She's not as exhausted as this very often...Come on, Rin. Let's get you some water." Hanayo extended her arm to Rin and pulled her up from the ground, picking up her shopping bags afterwards. "Come on, Rin. Come sit down in the living room with us. Kotori, Nico, join us! We'll be there."

And with that, Hanayo headed back to the living room with Rin on her arm, holding on dramatically. Kotori went to say something to Nico, but stopped herself to focus on the sound of faint yelling coming from somewhere down the corridor where the bedrooms were. Kotori and Nico looked at each other and without a word, walked in the direction of the noise. Moving closer, they made out the voice to be Honoka. They could hear her now, becoming more insistent. Nico and Kotori listened in stunned silence, slowly becoming concerned silence:

"Fantasy? What do you mean?"

"I wanted to see everyone again. What's wrong with that?"

"What's your problem? Is what I'm doing so wrong?"

"It's Obon, Yukiho! You know that!"

" _No!_ No, _no_! You used to be so supportive, Yukiho! If you think it's wrong to catch up with friends, then that's your problem.

"Why do you care what I do, anyway? We don't even talk much anymore."

"If you're my sister, you wouldn't be so mean to me over something like this."

"What do you know about what's best for me? Just because you don't have any ambitions, _that doesn't mean you have to drag me down!_ "

Honoka was shouting into her phone now, and worry bloomed on Kotori and Nico's faces.

" _Why are you making such a big deal out of this?_ Our mother hasn't said anything about this! _**This is only you!**_ "

A restrained yet frustrated scream could be heard as well as what was likely Honoka throwing her phone down on the bed, and from the other side of the door came the sound of Honoka slumping down onto the floor. No more words came from the room. Nico and Kotori awkwardly glanced at each other, standing motionless in front of the door.

Nico remembered her meeting with Honoka two months ago. She remembered she was the first of µ's to face a truly angry Honoka, and also the first to calm down a truly angry Honoka.

Nico set down her shopping bags, and Kotori did the same. Nico gently opened the door; Honoka was sitting on the floor against the side of the bed with her arms around her knees, and she was brooding, looking straight ahead.

Nico sat down next to Honoka on the floor against the end of the bed and leaned against Honoka's side without a word, her head resting on Honoka's shoulder. Honoka rested her head against Nico's, but gave no further response. Kotori stood nervously at the threshold of the room, though Nico beckoned her over with a single look. Kotori slowly stepped over to Honoka as if she were approaching a nervous cat, and sat down by Honoka's side, though didn't lean against her like Nico did. Honoka continued looking forward, silent, but took her right arm off her knee and brought Kotori in against her. She did the same with her left arm to bring Nico in even closer. The look on her face was no longer as harsh, and anger had given way to sadness at the shock of her own sister going against her. She sat there in thought with Kotori and Nico at her side, her eyes moving around her field of vision. Kotori and Nico relaxed their muscles; they would sit here in the moonlight streaming in through the window for as long as it took.


	5. Ganbare!

**Notes:** A kitsune is a mythical Japanese creature, essentially a many-tailed fox that grows tails as it grows older. (That one's probably common knowledge but I want to make sure.)

Electric Town is the part of Akihabara with the glowing lights and billboards; the part everyone thinks of when they think of Akihabara. (A very bright and colourful place.)

Amenbo no Uta is a complex poem containing many different sounds in Japanese that is commonly used as a vocal warmup and to loosen the tongue.

Due to health and personal issues and general increasing complexity of later chapters, the next chapters might take a while. Please bear with me! I'm doing my best to deal with said issues and get them dealt with. But once again, even if I'm too shy to say it in messages, I'm appreciative of everything all of you have said (and I still read all your reviews over and over and over because I treasure them!)

* * *

 **Ganbare! (Chapter 5)**

 **Stardom Overwhelming**

Monday morning, August the 12th.

Morning had come for Akihabara; in Maki's living room, Nozomi lay down on the sofa furthest from the TV, lounging. Eli sat beside her head, idly stroking Nozomi's hair, and Honoka sat on the sofa nearest the TV, leaning on the end closest to Eli and Nozomi. Honoka yawned and readjusted herself.

"I think I'd like to be a kitsune." Eli said. "I always found baby foxes cute, and in some stories they're faithful and loving youkai."

"You're a fox, Eli." Nozomi said, looking up at Eli, reaching her arm out and poking Eli's lips with her index finger, smiling mischievously. "How about you, Honoka?"

"Ummm..."

Honoka's train of thought was interrupted by the shrill ringing of her phone vibrating against the coffee table. She picked it up and inspected the screen; it was Umi, likely back from helping out her parents' morning classes. The call ended before Honoka could answer, but she knew what it meant; Umi wanted to get in without wanting to wake everyone else with the sound of the doorbell.

Honoka yawned again, and brought herself to her feet, shuffling out of the room. "It's Umi. I'm going to go and let her in."

The video feed on the gate access panel showed Umi waiting at the gate patiently. Honoka opened the gate and pre-emptively opened the front door.

"Good morning, Honoka. Tokyo's always so quiet on Obon after the crowds die down..." Umi mused, her long blue hair tied back in a ponytail.

"Morning, Umi!" Honoka replied, closing the door gently.

Honoka's phone rang again, and for a millisecond, Honoka thought it was Umi again, before remembering that Umi was in front of her, walking towards the living room. She looked at the screen again; it was her mother. Honoka answered the call, and ambled towards the living room.

"Hi, Honoka! I hope I haven't woken you up."

"It's fine, mum! I'm awake."

"Oh, good. I was just calling to see how the preparations for the show are going."

Pausing at the threshold of the living room, Honoka looked puzzled. "Show?"

Eli turned around at the mention of the word, and Nozomi sat up to listen in on the conversation, a tuft of hair sticking up from where Eli had abruptly stopped grooming it. Umi was sitting on the arm of the other sofa with her legs crossed, curious.

"Put it on speakerphone!" Nozomi mouthed, pointing at the phone Honoka had to her ear. Honoka rapidly took it off her ear and pressed the speakerphone button, awaiting the reply.

"You know, Honoka. The show the nine of you are doing at the Tokyo Dome City Hall on Sunday! Don't tell me you've forgotten about it already. There's been a lot of talk about the nine of you since you were seen in central Akihabara, and when we heard news you were reuniting for a street show, we just couldn't believe it!"  
"Ah-uh..." Honoka froze and looked around the room to see Umi, Eli and Nozomi staring blankly at her, waiting for a response. She smiled and giggled nervously, hoping it was the response they were waiting for, to no response. She thought Nozomi's tuft of hair sticking up looked funny.

"Um...yeah! Of course, I haven't forgotten!"

Umi's face turned to shock and she raised her hands to neck level, stiff. Nozomi's face remained blank and Eli's mouth opened in surprise a little.

"We're still in...the early stages of preparing for the show and there's a lot to work out, but...it'll be fine, don't worry!"

"That's wonderful to hear, Honoka. Have you talked to Yukiho yet?"

"Um...no, I haven't."  
"Ah, I see. Well, that's all I needed to call you for, really, so it's good to hear that you're doing fine. Don't forget, we all support you! I'll talk to you later!"

"Bye, mum!"

Honoka lowered her phone and looked around the room. Nobody's expression had changed since she first bluffed to her mother about the nonexistent show. Three seconds passed before Umi stood up straight, indignant.

"Honoka, _are you insane_?! We came here for a holiday, and you organise a show without even telling us?! Do you have no shame, springing something like this on us?!"

Honoka waved her hands in denial, stepping back cautiously; "No, Umi, it's not like that! I panicked! I'm sorry..."

"Honoka-"

Umi interrupted herself, noticing Kotori a few metres behind Honoka, standing still and trying not to be noticed in the midst of it all. Kotori froze in panic when she realised she'd been noticed.

"Kotori, come in. I'm sorry you had to hear that."

Kotori shuffled in nervously, hoping to avoid Honoka seeing too much of Yukiho in Umi.

"Umi, don't you think you're being a little harsh on Honoka? She didn't know either."

Umi sighed. "I suppose so, but I don't understand why you said we were doing a show."

"I don't know...I'd like the idea of a show. Lights, confetti, cute outfits..." Kotori said.

"That's a lot of work, Kotori." Umi said. "This is not what our lives are any more. We are not school idols, and we aren't even idols any more. Besides, who will be our technician? Who will do the jobs we don't? What about outfits?"

Kotori silently panicked, hoping strongly that Umi wasn't about to unintentionally offend Honoka with something that sounded too much like her sister the night before.

"Hang on a minute."

Umi, Honoka and Kotori turned to face Eli.

"What's wrong with a show, anyway? This could be the last time all nine of us ever meet up again. Why not one little show, just for old times' sake? I'm sure we can do this."

Nozomi looked at Eli tenderly for a slow five seconds. Eli didn't look back, and it wasn't visible to somebody who wasn't looking for it, but there was sorrow in Nozomi's eyes; she knew Eli needed this. She knew how dependent Eli could sometimes be on other people for validation. She knew how Eli would practice ballet in the mirror in their bedroom; Eli thought Nozomi wasn't around or couldn't see her, but Nozomi had seen it, more times than she could count. She practiced ballet as routinely as she run a business, and sometimes it seemed like she so desperately wanted to go somewhere with it. Eli was happy with where she was, but...she just wanted to dance again. Nozomi saw it in her eyes; she needed this at least as much as Honoka did. She'd seen the same look in her eyes when Eli first joined µ's.

Umi looked down indecisively; she'd devoted her life to dance ever since µ's. Even after their performance at the Tokyo Dome, she'd worked tirelessly at her parent's dojo, one half being her mother's traditional dance studio. It was something she could do, she just...had reservations about revisiting something from so long ago. Honoka thought about convincing Umi to do it; she faltered for a moment, but a rush of impulsivity rushed through her nervous system; "Why can't we do it, Umi? Everyone's leaving for home in the evening. We'd have plenty of time for a show!"

Umi knew this had played out before, and she knew it was futile to resist Honoka; she remembered Eli, and how she was certain Eli had hated them all when they first met. She was wrong on that, too. Even if in 13 years she'd matured, her judgement wasn't infallible.

"Very well, Honoka. But don't expect the training to be easy. We have less than a week."

Confidence grew in Honoka's expression, and she flashed Umi a daring smirk.

"I don't want it to be easy." Honoka said.

The four of them looked at Kotori, not even needing to ask her a question.

"I spent the flight here thinking about what we'd wear if we ever danced again! I'm in."

"Really, Kotori?" Umi said, flashing her a fake glare.

Kotori beamed at Umi in response.

Kotori, Umi, Honoka and Eli turned to Nozomi, who had been quiet the whole time; she'd fallen asleep with her head on her arm, resting on the top of the sofa. Eli gently brushed down the tuft of hair sticking up, and kissed her on the top of the head. "Nozomi."

Nozomi's eyes opened slowly and she perked back up, waking to see the four of them staring at her. "Hmm?"

"Do you want the nine of us to do a live show this Sunday, Nozomi? How do you feel about it?"

"Sure!"

"Sure?"

"You were probably expecting me to say something about fate or cards, but I'm tired. Sure!" Nozomi beckoned Honoka, Kotori and Umi over; "Also, Honoka, Kotori, Umi. Come sit down, you're stressing me out standing there like you're going to leave."

The three of them settled down on the sofa nearest the TV, and Nozomi and Eli turned to face them.

"So, what do we tell the other four?" Eli said. "I hope they're okay with this..."

"Why don't we work out some details in the meantime? We have to start now if we want to stand a chance." Honoka proposed.

"I have some great ideas about what we're going to wear when we perform." Kotori said.

"How are you going to make new dresses?" Umi replied, unsure. "We have less than a week.

"Well, Nozomi bought us all yukatas, didn't she? Maybe I can change those. I've spent the last three months modifying dresses, and I can do yukatas too!"

"Don't worry about that, Kotori. There's probably a ton of replicas of our old show dresses out there. I could just order some and get express delivery on then." Nozomi said, waving her hand nonchalantly. "I have all your measurements now, don't I?"

Umi looked at Eli and Nozomi blankly, as if to express her wonder as to what ideas Kotori and Nozomi had in mind, praying Nozomi wouldn't get an outfit with an impossibly short skirt.

"What songs will we play, too?" Eli said. "I liked Angelic Angel, Paradise Live and Soldier Game."

"But how many songs will we be playing?" Umi replied. "I don't know if all of us have the stamina for idol shows any more." Nozomi nodded in agreement, used to a more sedentary lifestyle as a career woman.

"How about half an hour to an hour?" Honoka suggested. "We can't leave them feel like we just started playing when we end our show, but we don't want to tire everyone out too badly."

"How about subunit corners?" Nozomi said. "That way, the rest of us can take a break while the other subunit can perform."

Honoka nodded in appreciation of the idea, but Umi interrupted before she could add her own idea.

"It's good that we have ideas, but only five of us are here. Maybe we should wait for the other four to come down. Until then...shouldn't we be thinking about practice? Isn't that the most important thing?"

"Oh, no..." Kotori whispered to herself.

* * *

 **GA-N-BA-RE!**

Tuesday morning, August the 13th.

"Let's begin our run back. Tokyo is very empty in the morning, so there's no excuse."

Umi turned around and walked towards the foot of the steps to Kanda Myojin Shrine, looking back at Rin and Nozomi, silently commanding them to follow her before she jogged up the stairs. Rin and Nozomi followed suit; Rin easily kept up with Umi, and Nozomi stayed behind Rin steadily, using the rails to support herself every second step up. Umi waited at the top of the stairs; Rin leaped off the penultimate step and landed next to Umi, and Nozomi came last, taking two breaths in; she sat down slowly, gasping for more breath, looking down the stairs. Umi stared down at her. After 15 seconds, Nozomi stood up and beamed at Umi with energetic eyes, urging her to continue.

"And now, we'll run from here back to Maki's house. Let's go."

Without a word, Umi set off back towards the street, unfaltering. Nozomi took a breath before catching up with Rin, who looked back at her sympathetically.

"I'm okay, Rin!" Nozomi said, speeding up to stay with Rin. Pushing past her limits, she kept a steady rhythm through the near-empty streets of Akihabara next to Rin, with Umi a few metres ahead, never looking back. Distracting herself from the possibility her muscles of her lungs might give in, Nozomi noted down the things she saw in her head: trees, a few delivery vans, a plane. Another tree, Umi, Rin, a billboard. Electric Town; suddenly the scenery blossomed and Nozomi had more than enough to distract her from her physical limitations. She tuned somewhere down this street; the next set of streets were a blur, failing to keep Nozomi's interest after the sights of Electric Town as Nozomi's pain ebbed and flowed with the rhythm. Before she knew it, she was waiting outside the gates to Maki's house around...10 minutes later?

The adrenaline wore off, and Nozomi became painfully aware of the strain she had exerted on her body. She gasped for breath as silently as she could, and jogged on the spot to keep what little adrenaline she had left, impatient. Umi called someone on the phone, likely to open the gates; Nozomi wanted them to hurry up.

After 10 seconds, the gate opened, and Umi and Rin walked around the back of the house to the garden to continue training with Nozomi in tow. Upon reaching the garden, Umi turned around and assumed her stern position again. Rin and Nozomi took their places in front of Umi.

"Let's begin with basic rhythm practice."

Umi moved from left to right, right to left, left to right, right to left, counting eight and swaying her arms to each side accordingly.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! Follow my movements in time!" Umi started clapping each beat out as she announced them, a makeshift metronome for Rin and Nozomi. They followed, though Rin seemed to be slightly too quick.

"Rin! Stay in rhythm!"

Rin slowed down slightly, and adjusted.

"Rin! That's too slow!"

Rin despaired, and adjusted again. Umi didn't shout at her again, so she assumed she was doing fine.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!"

They continued for five minutes until Umi changed to 4/4 timing, and swayed both arms slowly with the rhythm.

"One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. Keep it up."

Nozomi and Rin kept up, and continued for ten minutes; perhaps this was Umi's idea of a break. After the ten minutes was up, Umi switched back to 8/8 and her movements became complex; she shot her fists into the air rhythmically, and reached out her arms from her heart, spreading her arms out at the end of every other bar and pulling them to her side, and slowly moving them over to her heart.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! Keep up!"  
Chaos ensued; neither Nozomi nor Rin synchronised, and they lost rhythm desperately trying to memorise the sudden onslaught of movements Umi was trying to make them do. They shifted between getting the moves right and failing to keep rhythm, and keeping rhythm, but not getting the moves right.

" _Rin! Nozomi! This is disgraceful! Follow my movements, it's not difficult!_ "

Rin dropped to her knees in defeat, and Nozomi simply collapsed onto her back on the grass, half in shade under a tree, gasping heavily, sweating profusely.

" _Rin! Nozomi!_ _ **Get up now!**_ "

Rin jumped, and recoiled from Umi, startled.

"Hah...Umi, please stop shouting...we did our best..." Rin said, defeated. "It's so hot...I'm going to get some water and mikan for us. We need a break."

"Ah...I'm sorry, Rin! I didn't mean to scare you! Go and get some water and mikan oranges, we'll be waiting."

Rin got up and walked off, watched by Umi as she headed slowly to the house. Umi's target became Nozomi again; she stood over Nozomi, casting a shadow, and told her again; "Get up, Nozomi."

Nozomi looked Umi in the eyes from where she was and flashed a daring look at her, her limbs unmoving, her chest rising and falling from the heavy breaths she took.

"No. You come down here."

Umi didn't speak, but looked at Nozomi quizzically.

"Come down here, you know you want to."

"We have practice, Nozomi."

"I'm tired, and I need a break. So you come down here."

Umi looked away from Nozomi, deep in thought. She looked back at Nozomi and saw that she wasn't backing down, and shrugged, lying down carefully on the grass next to Nozomi. She crossed her ankles and crossed her hands over her stomach, and looked at Nozomi. She seemed peaceful; she was looking up at the sky, and her breathing was returning to normal. She seemed so happy, even though she was slacking off when she should have been practicing. Umi wondered what her secrets were, and how she was always so confident and happy about life. She wished she had those secrets...

Umi gave up those thoughts, and looked up at the sky, her thoughts blank. Even after she'd stopped gasping, Umi was close enough to hear Nozomi's breathing besides her, and there was a steady rhythm to it; she couldn't help but giggle to herself.

Three minutes later, Rin returned with a tray with three small bottles of water, three towels and three mikan oranges on it.

She looked down at Umi and Nozomi, puzzled by their peaceful smiles. She set the tray down near Umi and Nozomi's heads, but remained standing, curious.

"What are you two doing?" Rin asked.

"Thinking about life." Nozomi replied.

Rin didn't understand the answer, though considered it for a moment; after that moment was over, she shrugged and lay down beside Nozomi. She looked over at Nozomi and understood what she meant from her content smile and her deep turquoise eyes, and looked up at the sky, her silent breathing synchronising with Nozomi.

"Hey, Nozomi, Umi...do you think that cloud looks like a dragon?"

"I don't really think that cloud looks like anything, Rin..." Umi said.

"What about that one? That looks like a spoon, right?"

"I guess that one does look like a spoon."

"There aren't many more clouds in the sky today...where did they go, Umi?"

"There's not much rain anywhere, so there aren't any clouds. It's very hot today, Rin."

"What about planets? Do you think we can see Jupiter in the sky today? What about Mars? They should be visible."

"I don't know anything about planets, Rin, I'm sorry."

"Ah, sorry, Umi. I'd just love to see the starry sky again. Every year we bring in a special constellation tent and teach the kids about the stars. A starry sky is in my name, after all, but there's so much light pollution in the city..."

10 minutes passed, but neither of them felt any sense of time; they'd simply watched the world go by, lying motionless on a planet hurtling at indescribable speeds through the universe. Rin sat up and corrected her breathing for the sudden burst of activity, and Umi did the same after noticing. They both looked down at Nozomi; she was asleep. Rin hovered her face only centimetres over Nozomi curiously - no sound came from her, but a sense of calm came from seeing her like this; it broke her heart that they had to wake her up.

"Nozomi." Umi gently shook Nozomi.

Nozomi murmured, and her eyes opened the tiniest bit, and she sat upright, opening her eyes fully, rubbing them briefly and repositioning her ponytail.

"Sorry I fell asleep. It's so nice out here. What now, Umi?"

"We're going to continue with some light exercise before going on to vocal practice. But first, let's have some water and mikan."

Nozomi turned to see that the tray Rin had brought out had been untouched, though the water was likely warm by now. Sitting in a circle, the three of them took their water and mikan, drinking plentifully. They fiddled with their mikan, casually popping pieces into their mouth. A gentle warm breeze blew through the garden, rustling the trees and grass.

"Wow...these are good mikan." Rin said, already halfway through her orange. "Maki knows how to get good food."

"Even the water is refreshing." Nozomi said. "With friends, and outside on a day like this, anything can taste good."

Another five minutes went by, but even Umi wasn't particularly worried about this disruption to her planned schedule. There had to be breaks, after all, especially on a day that started in suffocating heat, one that would only get hotter.

"Come on, now. I think it's time we go back to practice before we lose our way."

Umi moved back to her original position standing in front of Rin and Nozomi and waited for them to get up. She gave them a blow-by-blow description of the routine they'd previously failed:

"Okay, I'll start out easy but here's how to do it when I make things more difficult, at least for now. One, two - raise your arm every second beat - three, four - raise your other arm and put the other one down - five, six - put the other arm up again - seven, eight - lower it and raise the other arm. And now, for the second part, One, two - reach out your arms for the first two beats - three, four - spread out your arms while keeping the rhythm - five, six - keep them there for the next two beats - seven, eight - bring in your arms, one, two, three, four - keep your arms on your heart - five, six, seven, eight - get them into position, ready to begin the routine again. So, first, how about we do it slowly?"

Umi reset her position, and continued slowly, exaggerating her movements; "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Nozomi, remember to synchronise your movements to the rhythm, at least for now."

Getting the hang of idol dancing again, Rin started mixing in head tilts, winks and accompanying body movements into her rhythm, almost freestyling to the rhythm. To her surprise, she didn't draw Umi's ire, but her praise instead, as Umi's smile grew wider.

Nozomi stuck to the rhythm permanently, her expression unwavering, the signs of fatigue having long since disappeared.

"That will do for now." Umi ceased activity with a pose, and Rin and Nozomi followed suit. Nozomi brushed back her hair with her hands and walked a few steps in random directions to slow herself to a halt comfortably.

The three of them dried themselves off with the towels, and Umi led them into the house, picking up the tray.

"Let's go for some vocal practice before lunch. I was thinking we could start with the Amenbo no Uta. Then we'll exercise some more and practice harmonies afterwards, as well as some more rhythm practice. Maybe we'll rehearse Omoide Ijou ni Naritakute."

"Amenbo akai na, a-iu-e-o..."

"She didn't mean now, Rin." Nozomi said, ruffling her own hair with a towel and tying it back again as she walked inside. "But your spirit is appreciated."

"I intend on having you recite the Amenbo no Uta until you can both recite it perfectly." Umi said behind her. "And even then we have the group practice and the rehearsal to go. Don't think I won't go easy."

* * *

 **BREAK**

Wednesday morning, August the 14th.

"How long should we wait for Kotori?"

"For as long as it takes. We can't practice any more without her, Honoka."

Honoka continued to twiddle her thumbs in the living room, waiting for Kotori to come down. She'd been awake for half an hour, and Hanayo had been down for ten minutes now; she wondered if Kotori's alarm hadn't gone off, or whether Kotori had slept through it, or if she'd simply forgotten. She'd considered going upstairs to Kotori's room several times, but had been discouraged by Hanayo several times, who had told her to have faith instead.

"Come on, Hanayo...don't you want to see what's taking her so long?"  
"No, Honoka. We wait here."

"Fine..."

Honoka turned back to the TV, watching an anime she'd never seen before. She didn't have much interest in it, but she had to do something to pass the time. Ten minutes later, the familiar patter of Kotori's feet could be heard approaching slowly from down the corridor. It was slower than usual, but approaching nonetheless.

"See, Honoka? I told you to wait."

A minute later, the pattering of feet made it to the threshold of the living room, and stopped. Hanayo stood up and turned around, and was met with a shocking sight; Kotori was in an awful state. Her hair was in disarray, she was sweating heavily, and she seemed...almost white. She was leaning against the doorframe, and breathed heavily a few times before bringing herself back up, walking slowly towards Honoka and Hanayo.

"Kotori, what's wrong?!" Honoka shouted, alarmed.

"Honoka..." Kotori looked up at Honoka weakly, blinked slowly twice, and took one more step before collapsing to the ground against the back of the sofa, her hair scattering in all directions on the floor.

" _Kotori!_ " Honoka screamed.

Hanayo rushed to Kotori's side as Honoka panicked, standing in place for five seconds before kneeling to Kotori's side, unsure of herself.

"What should we do, what should we do?! Should we get her back to her room?" Honoka yelled in a blind panic, her legs shaking.

"Calm down, Honoka!"

Hanayo lay Kotori on her back and inspected her; she was breathing, though it was unclear whether she was conscious or not.

"Hanayo, do you have a surgical mask?"

"I think Rin has some." Hanayo navigated around Honoka and Kotori, and ran back to her room.

Taking action, Honoka knelt down and slowly put her arms under Kotori's legs and back, taking hold of her knees, back and sides. Heaving herself back up, Honoka picked up Kotori; Kotori whimpered weakly, and her eyes opened a few millimetres, blankly looking up at Honoka feverishly. Conscious, but barely. Honoka could feel Kotori shivering, despite her obvious fever and high body temperature. She hoped her own body heat would help Kotori.

Hanayo returned with a surgical mask for Kotori as well as a bottle of water, and stopped dead when she saw Kotori in Honoka's arms; "Honoka, what are you doing?! You'll catch the flu yourself doing that! You're lucky she hasn't coughed yet!"

"Ah...ehehehe. I guess I forgot about that."

Hanayo sprinted back to get two more masks for Honoka and herself, and returned within 20 seconds.

"If you're going to carry her back to her bed, you'll need a mask yourself." Hanayo put masks over Honoka, herself and Kotori, and stood back in front of Honoka. "Let's go."

Kotori was conscious, but mostly motionless; she whimpered and murmured upon every large movement Honoka made, and tensed up every so often in shivering fits. She coughed weakly once or twice, clutching her aching stomach in pain each time.

"Should we call a doctor?" Honoka asked.

"Isn't Maki a doctor? Let's call her once she's available. I'll ask her in the group chat, just in case."

Hanayo opened the door to Kotori's room and moved her duvet out of the way, and Honoka set her down on the bed, covering her with the duvet. She was breathing deeply, and Honoka and Hanayo hoped she wasn't hyperventilating.

"There's flu powder in the house, right, Hanayo?"

"I'm not sure if there'd be anything quite that strong."

"Stay here, Hanayo. I'll go to the shops and get some powder and ginger tea."

"Sure! And remember to go wash your hands before you go."

Honoka sped off to retrieve medicine for Kotori, and Hanayo sat down on the floor next to Kotori's bed, resting against the bedside desk, reaching out her arm to stroke Kotori's hair sympathetically. Kotori smiled weakly, still unmoving.

"Don't push yourself too much, Kotori. When I saw you walking into the room like that, it reminded me of our No Brand Girls performance back at school."

"Yeah...when Honoka fainted." Kotori whispered back.

"She said she had a cold...colds don't make you faint, ehehe. I'm glad we got in a day of training, at least. Do you want me to turn on the TV?"

Kotori nodded, and Hanayo turned on the small bedroom TV, turning it towards Kotori.

"Is...One Last Dance on...? That's my favourite drama."

"Let me see...it is! I'll put it on."

Hanayo changed the channel with perfect timing; the commercial break had just ended, and the show cut back to a scene of a group of people in a karaoke bar, drinking sake and discussing issues about people she wasn't familiar with. Hanayo turned down the volume, and set down the remote.

Do you want some water?"

"Yes, please..."

Hanayo handed Kotori the bottle, and she took it with both hands, barely raising it up, tricking water into her mouth. Hanayo tipped the bottle slightly, helping Kotori to drink a sufficient amount, and took the bottle back when she seemed done. Kotori's eyes looked sullen and weak as ever, but at least she was hydrated. Hanayo set the bottle down on the bedside desk and ruffled Kotori's hair, turning back round to face the bedroom TV.

Kotori felt too sick to go back to sleep, but this felt nice; she at least knew she had help where she was, and more help was on the way, and that a doctor would be here after that. She watched TV with Hanayo in content silence for somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes, her energy focused on trying not to feel too ill.

Honoka arrived a minute or so into the break, Hanayo overhearing the familiar sound of the door opening, as well as Nozomi and Honoka's voices, indistinct. The sweet rustle of the bag Honoka was carrying approached up the stairs, and powerwalked towards Kotori's room. Honoka burst in triumphantly.

"I'm back!"

"Not so loud, Honoka!"

"Ah...sorry."

Kotori raised herself up, propping herself on one arm, looking over at Honoka's bag.

"Anyway! Here I have..."

Honoka set the heavy-looking bag on the floor next to the door, and took out: Three bottles of ice-cold water, a bottle of remedial ginger drink, a box of herbal medicinal powder for treating flu and fever, a box of painkillers, some energy drinks, some rice porridge, and...a whole assortment of snacks. Even after Honoka took out everything, there still seemed to be many items in the bag.

"I'm sorry, Honoka...I don't want to eat right now. I still feel sick." Kotori said.

"That's okay. Even if we can't practice, we can all stay here together and help you get better however we can. Hanayo, is it okay if I go down and prepare Kotori's medicine?"

"Sure!"

Honoka grabbed the ginger drink, medicinal powder and one bottle of water, and ran to the kitchen.

Three minutes later, just as One Last Dance ended its break, Honoka returned with a bottle of hot ginger drink, and a medicinal solution in a bottle. Honoka set both drinks down on Kotori's bedside next to her bottle of water and kissed Kotori in the forehead casually, sitting down next to Hanayo on the side of Kotori's bed, eyes focused on the TV.

"If we can't practice, then let's just...hang out!"

Kotori sat up and sipped her medicinal solution, then sipped some of her ginger drink before lying back down, repositioning herself to cool off. Honoka took out some green tea daifuku out of the bag as well as some sweet chilli rice crackers, putting them in the small space between her and Hanayo. Honoka nibbled on her daifuku and Hanayo opened the packet of rice crackers, taking one out.

"So, what's going on here? Is this man having an affair with this other woman, but nobody else knows it?" Honoka asked.

"Actually, Daiki knows." Kotori asked, pointing to the man at the centre of the karaoke booth. "But Mitsuo's threatened to kill him if he doesn't stay silent. Daiki is also having an affair with Mitsuo's wife, but Mitsuo doesn't know about it."

"Why would he stay silent? Daiki doesn't sound innocent either." Honoka asked.

"Mitsuo looks like a powerful businessman." Hanayo said.

"He is..." Kotori murmured. "Since he took over from his father, his business has strong links to the Yakuza."

"Ohh, I get it! He's a corrupt, power-hungry businessman!" Honoka said.

"And maybe that's why Daiki can't leave the company either, because he knows they'll come for him if he does, in case he tells on Mitsuo." Hanayo added.

"But Rio's great uncle is a high-ranking Yakuza member who funds her studio. But nobody knows this." Kotori said.

"What has Rio gotten herself into?!" Honoka exclaimed. "She looks so innocent and pure! Why has she gotten herself tangled up in this?! Why is this show so dark, Kotori?!"

Kotori and Hanayo giggled. Hanayo checked her phone to see if Maki had replied; she hadn't. She was probably still training, and if what she saw yesterday, BiBi's training was intense.

"On another note, Hanayo, do you have the Blu-Ray of our final performance at the Tokyo Dome, by any chance?" Honoka asked.

"Do I? I knew I'd get to use them!" Hanayo replied, beaming. "I knew we'd get to watch them when I came here. Maybe when Kotori's well enough to be in the living room, we can all watch it together and maybe study our performances. Maybe we could watch a bit of it here, and nobody would know..."

"Ahh, come on, Hanayo, no fair! Everyone should get to watch it!" Honoka burst out, turning her head to Hanayo.

"Aww, Honoka, you know I'm teasing you. Rin would be hurt if I watched it without her, anyway, and so would everyone else."

Honoka repositioned herself slightly and turned around, reaching her arm out and ruffling Kotori's hair. "Don't worry, Kotori. Soon you'll get to see it." Honoka's phone vibrated, and she turned back round to see what it was.

"Hang on, Maki's replied! She says she'll be available in the afternoon. Don't worry, Kotori, a doctor will be here soon."

"I thought she was an eye doctor?" Honoka said.

"She is, but she's still agreed to check up on Kotori."

* * *

 **Healing**

Wednesday afternoon, August the 14th.

The afternoon sunlight pulsed, casting yellow rays into the room through the half-open curtains upon every pulse before settling down to a single diffuse ray illuminating the whole room.

"My, my...Honoka did most of my work for me. You have your ginger remedy, you have your medicine, you have your water...I'm only an eye doctor, so I'm not sure how much I can do, since it's not like I can prescribe anything."

The bottles were half-empty, and Maki noted that Kotori hadn't touched any of them in a while. She took out her digital in-ear thermometer, and placed it carefully in Kotori's ear, holding Kotori's head in place.

Maki let go, and observed the screen on the digital thermometer, leaning over her chair and disposing of the plastic tip.

"Oh...this is very high indeed. It's obvious you have a fever, but this is concerning. I'm at least glad that Honoka went all out. I haven't heard anything about any major seasonal outbreaks or bird flu outbreaks in Japan, so it's probably just normal flu."

The door creaked slightly, drawing Maki and Kotori's attention. The door didn't move for a good few seconds, and Maki saw a figure through the crack, looking in through the door. They seemed to be aware of the fact that they'd been noticed, and so opened the door.

Nico slowly opened the door and walked in step by step, looking back at Kotori and Maki. She knelt down by Kotori's bedside slowly, glancing at Maki.

"Nico, put a mask on! If you're going to be so close to Kotori, I don't want you getting sick." Maki handed Nico a mask, and Nico put it on without a word, sighing.

"Are you okay, Kotori?" Nico asked, leaning against the bedside desk and looking into Kotori's eyes. They looked so weak and drained of life, like she'd never handled a fever in her life. Nico didn't receive an immediate answer, as Kotori's eyes flickered, struggling between "yes" and "no".

"It's a standard flu. It's strong, but it's nothing lethal. It may take a few days, but she'll recover in time." Maki interjected.

Nico picked up the unopened bottle of energy drink on the floor and handed it to Maki. "Here. This should help."

"Energy drinks don't do anything, Nico. I don't know why Honoka bought that."

"They do work though."

"They don't, Nico, and I'd rather not have it interacting with the medicine in her system. Energy drinks are not for ill people."

"Then why do so many parents give it to their children?"  
"I don't know, Nico, probably urban myths."

"It worked for me."

"I can't say it will work for Kotori. I'm the doctor here, remember?"

"Isn't it worth a try?"

Unable to do anything else, Kotori whimpered, drawing their attention.

"Please stop arguing..."

"Sorry, Kotori!"

"Sorry!"

Nico put the energy drink back on the floor, and leaned back against the bedside desk. "What do we do now, Maki?"

"We wait, Nico. She has everything she needs."

"I guess." Nico said, her eyes focused on Kotori.

"Hey, Kotori. When you're better, do you want to come downstairs and hang out with us? We'll be done training this evening and we'll all be there."

"That sounds great, Nico."

"I wouldn't bet on Kotori being well enough for that this evening." Maki said. "I don't want her pushing herself too hard. You remember when Honoka fainted doing the same thing in school."

"Okay. Maybe I'll stay up here until we restart training then."

"What...what do we do about the show?" Kotori said. "I feel awful...I don't want to ruin things for everyone by being unable to make the show."

"Kotori, you're not ruining anything!" Maki said, almost surprised. "It's not your fault you're ill like this." Nico nodded in agreement, looking at Maki.

Kotori breathed in and attempted to heave herself up out of bed, wincing in pain from the aches in her muscles. She groaned in pain as she felt the tension in her muscles and the headache from earlier coming back.

"Hey, Kotori! Cut that out, you're hurting yourself!" Maki said, gently helping Kotori back down into bed.

Maki sat back down and took Kotori's hand and looked her in the eyes sympathetically; "We're not going to force you to do anything. If you can't make it to the show because you're still ill, it's not your fault. Okay?"

Kotori nodded. "Okay."

"We have your back, Kotori." Nico added, shifting uncomfortably, trying to find a comfortable position to sit on the floor.

"You know, Nico, you don't have to stay here. You seem uncomfortable." Maki said.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I don't want to stay here." Nico replied. "I'm staying here, and you can't get rid of me."

Maki laughed. "I guess two heads are better than one."

She turned back to Kotori. "Kotori, drink your solution. It'll help."

Kotori complied, and took a few sips of solution. Maki handed her the now-warm bottle of water, and she drank it in turn, setting it down afterwards.

"Kotori, Honoka told me that you could...'change' the yukatas Nozomi bought for us. What exactly did you mean like that?"

A little bit of life returned to Kotori's eyes, and she propped herself up against the headboard on her bed, breathing in and sweeping stray hairs out of her face.

"My friend Sylvain has been teaching me how to code, and...he helped me sew some lights into dresses as an experiment. It's really fun, and...he even taught me how to program the lights so that they change colour and do pretty things in time to whatever you want it to be in time with. I don't think we'll have time for it though..."

Nico straightened herself. "I can code and sew! Can I work on the dresses?"

Maki looked at Nico with an expression resembling surprise. "You can code and sew? I thought you didn't do things like that in any of your jobs?"

"Yeah. I've learned lots of things from all my jobs. Sometimes I take ones that don't last long or one-offs. Why are you surprised?"

"I'm...not. I'm impressed."

Kotori sighed, and looked over to the opposite corner of the room. "Well...I worked on it on the flight here and a little bit in this room. All my notes are in the bag in the corner over there, but I don't know if we have time. I wanted something that looked pretty at Obon, but I wasn't expecting a live show...I don't know where the outfits Nozomi ordered are, but I probably won't be wearing them today."

"Leave this to...Super Idol Nico Yazawa." Nico said in jest, giving Maki and Kotori an over-exaggerated, self-referential smile. "If it's coded in a decent language, I can make something basic and start from there. And leave the sewing to me. I've gotten good."

Maki couldn't help but smile at her renewed spirit. Even if it had been built up from what probably were bad conditions, long hours and overworking from jobs that paid almost nothing, Nico had learned a lot.

Nico got up and took a few steps towards the bag in the corner; inside, she found a neatly organised folder of notes, a several boxes of assorted electrical components, several fibre optic kits, several reels of LED wire, and a seemingly plain white dress ending in a bubble skirt. Lifting it out of the bag, Nico tilted her head, unsure of what was so special about it.

"We have a family tailor too, Nico." Maki said, watching her with amusement. "If you want, they can help too."

"Awww, you're such a princess, Maki. I-" Nico cut herself off, fixated on the details of the bubble skirt. Carefully putting the dress back, she turned around and bolted upright.

"I got it! I understand now! Nozomi has the dresses she ordered for us, right?"

"She does, I think." Maki replied.

"Kotori, you can help me when you get better because you're a genius! I'll be back with your notes when I'm done working!"

Nico ran to Kotori and considered hugging her before realising how dangerous and awkward it would be, not to mention that she might hurt Kotori. She pondered for a moment before ever so slowly moving forward to hug Kotori closely and gently for a few seconds. She snapped round and hugged Maki, much to Maki's shock, and darted out the room with the bag.

"I thought she said she'd be staying here, and nobody could get rid of her?" Maki remarked, looking at the half-open door. "Ah well. We'll be seeing her later on, I suppose. You know, I'm impressed...I never would have had her down as somebody who could code and sew."

Maki turned her attention back to Kotori, reaching towards the bottle of herbal solution.

"Now come on Kotori. Take your medicine."

* * *

 **Laying Ghosts to Rest**

Friday night, August the 16th.

Only three remained in the living room from nine, the other six having gone to bed already; Nozomi, Umi and Maki sat facing each other on the sofa furthest from the TV, facing the narrow end of the coffee table. The TV was off, and the contrast between the interior lighting and the darkness outside had grown such that looking out the window would only yield a reflection, and at this time of night, only the sound of their voices remained. Umi sat politely on the left, leaning inwards towards Maki and Nozomi, Maki sat on the right with her legs underneath her, and Nozomi laid back, her arms spread out across the top of the sofa.

"I always liked daytime." Nozomi said. "At least then, I know I'm working. At night, I'm always dreading an out-of-hours email, and half the time, I get an out-of-hours message about some escalated squabble between two employees. I don't know why they don't take it to HR, but I always end up having to deal with the concerns of my entire division. It's so tiring. You'd think I'd be able to relax with Eli after I get home from work, but there's always something needing my attention."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Nozomi." Umi said, putting out her hands in a gesture resembling compromise. "Surely the weekends are more relaxing?"

"You'd think so, but out of hours emails are even worse on the weekend."

"I definitely can understand that." Maki replied. "Even as a doctor, even if I specialise in optometry, an out of hours message or call can be scary sometimes. It's never happened to me, but I've heard bad stories from others, and sometimes I wonder when my first emergency will be. Every time I get a call regarding a client, I worry that the time for my first emergency has come."

Nozomi leaned forward on the sofa. "All this talk of emergencies and out of hours calls...it isn't good for my heart. Eli's probably waiting for me upstairs, and I don't want to keep her waiting. I'm not one to tempt fate by talking about out of hours calls either, so I think I'm going up to bed. Goodnight to the both of you!"

"Night, Nozomi!"  
"Goodnight, Nozomi."  
And with that, Nozomi hoisted herself up from the sofa, dusted herself off, adjusted her clothing and walked out of the room. Umi readjusted herself, and leaned into the sofa slightly to face Maki more directly, and they continued conversation.

"Anyway, back on topic, I'd say I prefer daytime. I know work gets done in daytime, especially the morning. I know my purpose in the day, and so does everyone else."

"Ah, I see...you're one of those weird morning people."

"I...weird?"  
"Relax, Umi! I was joking! You know things aren't weird between us any more."

"Maki, come on...morning is the best time of the day. It's the only time of day you really feel refreshed."

Maki laughed. "You really believe morning is a good time of day? I have to get up very early in the morning for my job, but that doesn't mean I like it."

"I think anyone can get up early in the morning if they put themselves to a good sleep schedule. There are too many distractions in the modern world, and people forget to take care of their bodies."

"Oh, I know all about people forgetting to take care of their bodies. I'm a doctor, remember?"

"I can't help but worry about Eli, Kotori and Nozomi's habits, though. Nozomi's asleep half the time, Eli's eyesight is already beginning to go even though she's only 31, and Kotori loses herself in her work so much that she forgets to properly take care of herself. I can't help but wonder if that fever could have been prevented if she had a healthier lifestyle...she's still ill right now. I'm worried for her."

Maki laughed again, and sighed. "You worry too much, Umi. Leave the worrying to Rin and Honoka. Rin's the one telling us all to stay hydrated and eat healthy, and Honoka was the one who organised this."

"Aren't you the one who invited us all here to your house? Aren't you stressed out?"

Shooting Umi a matter-of-fact look, Maki relaxed in her position on the sofa.

"Ah...that's the thing. I'm not like I used to be. I don't worry or get stressed about everything, and life became so much easier when I learned to take things easy."

Umi nodded in agreement, then paused as her focus shifted; she thought she saw corner in the movement of her eyes, past her reflection and through the window.

"Hang on, Maki. I think there might be someone out there."

Umi turned around and trained her vision on all the windows she could see through to reasonable angles, and Maki did the same, curious. They both saw it; a brief flash of light hair passing by, headed around the back of the house.

"Was that Eli?" Umi said.

It was indeed Eli; she moved with concern through the still garden of Maki's house to find the one she'd heard rustling outside her window in the back garden; Nico. She couldn't wait for Nozomi to come to bed, and so dressed herself and set out to find Nico, afraid that something was wrong.

Eli refined her footsteps as she moved around the side of the house to the back garden, hushing her steps in case Nico heard her coming. Her only advantage in the dark was the light spilling out from the windows into the gardens; at least those rooms with lights still on. She couldn't make anything out quite well, but she searched for Nico's recognisably dark hair regardless.

She found Nico hidden from any prying eyes that may have been watching her from inside, against the side of the house and past any of the windows. She sat there, holding her knees and staring into space, brooding. Eli ghosted over to Nico and quietly knelt down.

"Nico?"

"Mm."

Nico didn't look up.

Eli sat down next to her. "Come on, Nico. Even if you tell me nothing's wrong, we both know something is wrong. Tell me. I'm here to listen."

Nico inhaled deeply, and exhaled the same, readying herself.

"Well..."

Nico paused and looked down at the ground.

"This is fun and all, but all I can think about is that it'll be over in three days, and I'll go back to the same life I was living. I'm not even sure if I'm ready for an idol show again."

"You don't have to think about how this will all be over. We're not done yet. If you think too much about endings, you'll watch everything pass you by without ever truly experiencing it."

"Mm."

Nico didn't like it, but she knew Eli was right.

Eli rubbed Nico's back sympathetically. "It won't be the same after this is over. Honoka wanted to make sure of that. Even if we can't find ways to connect, we'll still talk every so often. We have a group chat again, don't we?"

"How do I know you're not just saying that...?"

"We've always been about action, Nico...Even if we let life overwhelm us once, we won't let it happen again. The hardest years of our life are over, and from now on, so are yours. You've grown from who you once were."

Eli couldn't see it, but Nico's expression was softening; torn between bitterness and hope, distance and friendship, present and future, her thoughts clashed against one another. She was afraid, afraid of the future, of opening up. Eli couldn't see it in this darkness, but she felt it.

Eli stood up and reached her hand out to Nico. "I'll tell you what, Nico. How about we get away from here for a bit, and make some memories? How about this: I take you to the Asakusa Toro Nagashi. It's going on right now. Come on, I'll call us a taxi right now. Go get your yukata, and I'll go get mine and call us that taxi. Sound good?"

Nico paused and took her hand, standing on her feet.

"That's my Nico. Come on, I'll style your hair, too."

Quietly preparing for the Asakusa Nagashi in Nico's room, Eli worked fast with the experience she'd gained from styling both her own hair and Nozomi's; they were ready within 10 minutes.

Eli wore a floral blue yukata with a baby blue-eye motif, tied at the back with a blue bow with gold stripes, and her hair was tied back in a messy spiral bun with free wavy ends falling down from it, punctuated by some blue hydrangea accessories.

Nico wore a floral pink yukata with a cherry blossom motif, tied at the back with a dark pink bow, and her hair was tied back in a high neat ponytail accentuated by a red ribbon, with two free ends of hair left to rest just front of her ears.

"Wow, Nico...you look beautiful! It's a shame I couldn't convince you to have twin buns, but it's no loss because you look amazing! See, I told you it would be good."

Nico smiled, and unused to compliments on that level, couldn't help but go a little red herself.

"Aww, Nico." Eli said. "Now come on, get your purse. The taxi's probably here."

Sure enough, the taxi was waiting outside the gates for them. Likely familiar with the Nishikino household, the driver seemed at ease, and more than happy to wait.

The atmosphere changed once Nico and Eli got into the dimly lit taxi. They weren't under Maki's wing, they weren't in the mansion any more; they were travelling amongst the city lights of Tokyo in the darkness, the urban noises of the outside world a comforting, distant muffle. They were on a night out, and they were making memories. Nico didn't say much, instead opting to stare out the window at the lights of Akihabara passing by, mesmerised. Eli did the same, unsure of when she'd next see Tokyo, enjoying her experience in a similar fashion. Occasionally they'd point out particularly interesting sights to one another, but for the most part, it was a quiet ride, one of anticipation, though, the closer they got to Asakusa, the denser the traffic became, and the longer the traffic jams became.

Eventually, Eli opted to exit the taxi at the foot of Kaminarimon Street nearby the Sumida River where the Asakusa Toro Nagashi was taking place. Paying by card and thanking the driver, she and Nico exited onto the busy street. The festival was in its second half, and the crowds were immediately obvious even if a little bit thinner than the crowd that started the Asakusa Toro Nagashi, and Kaminarimon street showed off its smooth multicolour sheen, the vivid glows of the shops complementing the standout white of the streetlights dotted around the scenery against the night sky. Despite its location, it was a far cry from the brash, obnoxious sensory overload of Electric Town's flashing signs and spectrum of colours, though Kaminarimon Street was not dull in any way, either; it just wasn't the highlight here tonight.

Eli pulled Nico to her shoulder to ensure she wouldn't get separated, and slowly headed towards Azuma Bridge through the crowds, almost in a daze. Two women on a night out in a city of bright lights, lanterns and neon, they were in their own world now. Even here, there was nothing that needed to be said, and so Eli and Nico enjoyed each other's company in silence, watching the scenery in a trance-like state and letting the uneven crowds pass around them like waves.

And then, they reached Azuma Bridge. Taking their place at a gap in the wall of people looking out, Eli and Nico saw Asakusa in all its glory. The cool summer night air enveloped them and they stared, fully entranced by the Asakusa Toro Nagashi.

The initially dark water of Sumida River shimmered and reflected every scene taking place on its banks and expressed every colour given to it, showing lustrous strains of yellow, white and orange as well as twinkling blue across its entire surface, and lanterns drifted down the river as glowing orange apparitions from a row of tents lit that same orange somewhere down the river, and the seemingly white shapes of yukata-clad festival-goers on the river banks could be seen shifting in the distance, coming and going on the banks. For a moment, the tiny white windows of a train passing by were visible, drawing their attention to the sides of the illuminated buildings lining the horizon of the river, adding green into the list of hues in play in this wonderful dream. Above it all, the tops of cars were visible on the highway on the other side of the river.

Some of them were holding various items; most noticeable were the crackling sparklers, and the distinctive pink of candy floss, and on the people closer to them, even yakitori.

A boat cruised down the river, its dim, almost moody lighting projecting bright lilac and blue onto the river. The boat, too, had a wall of people on the railings gazing at the lanterns and the river banks.

Eli and Nico couldn't help but blush as a side-effect from the rush of warm emotion they felt taking it all in.

"Nico..." Eli said. "Isn't this amazing?"

"Mm..."

Eli brought Nico closer to her shoulder. "Do you want to get closer to the paper lanterns?"

"Sure."

Still entranced, Eli and Nico headed down riverside, their eyes never truly leaving the river - Nico remembered coming to this part of Sumida riverside in cherry blossom season two years ago. The trees were now green, but no less vibrant. She saw the crowds they'd observed from Azuma Bridge; every pattern of yukata imaginable, people carrying candy floss, yakitori, takoyaki, the occasional sparkler, crepes...together with the smell of the night air and the crisp of the Sumida River, it truly felt like a festival experience. Nico noted that Eli was just as amazed as she was, smiling at things she wasn't privy to, scanning her environment. The crowds coming and going started to focus further down the riverside, and they found it; the series of marquee tents where paper lanterns were being released into the Sumida River, at the Sumida Park Shinsui Terrace. Old Japanese pop songs could be heard somewhere in the distance.

"Do you feel like making a lantern, Nico?" Eli asked.

"Well, I do. But if you don't mind, I want to pay for this one myself. It only feels right."

"Really?"

"I never got to say goodbye to my grandmother properly." Nico said, a hint of regret in her voice. "I barely ever saw any of my family in the last 11 years, and my mother recently told me she passed away. I wasn't even there to say goodbye, and I wasn't there for her in her last years. So the least I can do is help to guide her spirit home."

"Oh...I'm sorry, Nico. But if that's the case, let's go buy a paper lantern. There might be a line, after all."

Decorating in the marquee tent, on one side of her paper lantern, Nico adorned her lantern with the names of her family. The families she felt she'd left behind, the families she'd only just started to reconnect with; the Yazawa family, and µ's. On another side, she drew µ's old logo with some cherry blossoms, and on the other two, her wishes; for her to life the peaceful life she'd always wanted, for her to have someone to talk to, and for her to reconcile with her families for good.

They stood in line with no shortage of distractions; the steady stream of paper lanterns drifting out of sight under the bridge, the sparklers of occasional passers-by, the smell of festival food, the music in the distance, the boats passing by in the distance; the two of them took in the festival as a whole, as they knew they may not see it again.

They weren't counting, but Nico came next in line sooner than they thought, almost as if they'd physically lost time. They watched as Nico's lantern was sent down the delivery system, and they watched as it peacefully joined the mass of paper lanterns floating down the river, never to be seen again, its wishes and its messages left to the gods now. Eli and Nico felt compelled to follow it, fixing their eyes on it, keeping track of it even after breaking line of sight several times. They kept track of it halfway to Azuma Bridge before losing track, and it joined the other paper lanterns for good, just another lantern from just another person here tonight.

"Your grandmother will find her way home, Nico. Don't worry. How about we go get some festival food? I feel like some candy floss." Eli said.

Nico smiled and nodded, normal thoughts finding their way back into her mind. She wondered who booked their show in the Tokyo Dome City Hall, she wondered if everyone at Maki's house was asleep, and she wondered...what to eat.

Eli wondered what to drink, how Nico was doing on the dresses so far...and how she'd explain why she'd be gone to Nozomi. Nozomi must be feeling lonely, she thought to herself...


	6. Minato Mirai

**Notes:**

A chochin lantern is a circular paper and wood lantern. You've likely seen one before.

Geta are a pair of wooden sandals, often part of traditional Japanese footwear. Sometimes worn with socks.

A yagura is a platform upon which a Bon Odori dance is conducted; on it are dancers, a taiko drummer and other instrumentalists necessary for the music.

Mikoshi is a team of festival helpers that help carry a shrine during certain traditional Japanese festivals to do with the Shinto religion.

I'm so sorry for the wait! There were various health issues, mental and physical, and then I went on an unplanned holiday with my family, and I hit writer's block...it's been wild.

I was hoping to upload in time for UmiMaki month, but apparently not...(oh, and you know what's coming now, though.)

Thank you for your patience! Apologies, but chapter 8 might take a while. It's going to require everything I've got to write the last 3 chapters.

* * *

 **The Last Day**

Saturday, August the 17th.

Rubbing her eyes, Eli shuffled down the stairs into the corridor leading down to the living room, followed by Nozomi, similarly yawning and running her hand through her hair. No words were exchanged; beyond Nozomi asking Eli why hadn't come to bed, and Eli's tired explanation, they both knew they'd need a little longer before they were wide awake.

They entered the living room to see Kotori sitting at the end of the sofa nearest the TV, besides Umi, whose perky facial expression told them that she had been waiting for them to come down for a while. The TV droned on in the background, and daylight comfortably filled the room as the smell of coffee wafted in from the kitchen.

"Morning, Nozomi! Eli!" Kotori said, leaning out.

"Good morning, you two." Umi said. "Did you have a late night last night?"

Nozomi acknowledged Umi and Kotori and looked at Eli, rubbing her eyes again. Eli gave the three of them an embarrassed smile, knowing full well that she was the only one who had gone to bed late.

"Oh, my..." Umi said.

"No, no, it's not like that! Well...I took Nico to the Asakusa Toro Nagashi last night. She seemed lonely, and all or at least most of you had retired to your rooms, and I thought I'd cheer Nico up. It was a spur of the moment thing. Sorry...I thought everyone was too tired to go somewhere."

"Don't be sorry, Eli! I was thinking if we had time, we could go to the Minato Mirai Bon Odori this evening." Umi replied as Kotori nodded in agreement, excited for something that hadn't even yet been confirmed.

A voice approached from the kitchen: "Morning, Nozomi, morning, Eli." Honoka walked into the living room, coffee in hand and a glass filled with ginger tea in the other. Umi and Kotori shuffled over, and Honoka sat down at the end, beside Kotori, setting her coffee down on a coaster on the coffee table, and Kotori's medicine on a coaster in front of Kotori, ruffling Kotori's hair to alert her to the glass of ginger tea she'd set down. "What are we talking about? Come sit down!"

Honoka gestured to the empty sofa facing the TV, looking at Nozomi and Eli and they sauntered over, taking their seats. Nozomi lay down on the sofa with her head cradled in Eli's lap and yawned, her eyes only half-open, which in turn signalled Eli to unconsciously start running her fingers through Nozomi's hair, and Kotori picked up her glass with both hands and sipped at her tea.

Umi continued: "Anyway, it's Obon, and I thought we could all go to the Minato Mirai Bon Odori. After all, no Obon celebration is complete without Bon Odori celebrations."

"Oh, you mean Minato Mirai 21? We're waiting for everyone else to get back from work to talk about everything, but I think it's a great idea! This is the last full day we have, after all." Kotori said in agreement, a warm smile on her face. Her body was still fighting of the last of her flu, but she'd mostly recovered.

"...Work?" Nozomi said.

"You've forgotten, Nozomi?" Honoka replied. "Nico, Rin and Hanayo have gone to work. They don't want to take any more days off and are saving them for the live tomorrow."

"Ahh...sorry, Honoka. I'm still half-asleep. What about Maki?"

"Maki's out right now. I think she said she was going out for a walk..."

"Anyway." Umi interrupted. "How are we all doing for preparations?"

"Well, that's the strange thing, Umi..." Kotori said. "I've called the organisers at the Tokyo Dome City Hall and...half the work has been done for us already. We have a time in the afternoon, we have the little things set up for us like drinks, we have technicians, we have a sound system...I didn't understand why, but it's almost like someone else has already set everything up for us before all this even started. Nico, Maki, Rin and Hanayo haven't said anything about calling Tokyo Dome, so I'm not sure it could be them. I don't understand it, but I'm glad."

Honoka tilted her head curiously. "They haven't said anything about it to me either. My mum's talked about it a few times and she said she'd been chatting with all the other parents about the Tokyo Dome City Hall, but that's all I've heard about it. She hasn't said much, now that I think about it..."

"So just to be sure, what does that leave us with?" Eli asked, ruffling Nozomi's hair a little.

Honoka leaned forward, putting her hand out to count each point on her fingers.

"Well, there's...the outfits." Honoka looked back at Kotori. "Kotori, you and Nico have finished them, right?"

"We've finished the outfits, yes. We'll show you what they do if we have time! Nico's a wonderful dressmaker and coder. It's surprising how much she knows."

"You finished already?!"

"Well, you know I'm always fast at making these things! And as I said, Nico's really talented, so we got it all done in no time with my notes."

"Okay! Next, there's the choreography..." Honoka said as she counted two on her fingers around the same time Eli and Nozomi groaned in perfect sync, weary of the brutal training regime Umi had put them through; of the nine of them, they were the least in shape, softened by their peaceful, less active life in Sapporo. Kotori simply looked on politely.

"I think we can say we have the choreography down."

"But it doesn't help to keep training." Umi said. "Especially for you, Nozomi. You're not as fit as you used to be."

Nozomi waved her arm up and down in Umi's direction. "Hey...I kept up 7am through 7pm, didn't I? Even if it was through pain, I did it. I'm but a beautiful middle-aged woman with a nice life, leave me alone."

"How's promotion doing, Honoka?" Eli asked.

"Even though we haven't had much time, and word about µ's gets around fast anyway, and then there was the photoshoot, well... that's the funny thing..."

"Honoka, that's the second funny thing you've talked about." Umi said.

"Things are funny, Umi, come on! Anyway...I've talked to my mother a lot, and she says everyone's really excited. I mean, we've put up flyers where we can, but my mum talks a lot about all her friends being excited to see the show. I'm glad, because it's harder to put out flyers now than it was 15 years ago due to the newer laws on littering and loitering...She did talk about being in contact with Nico and Maki's parents, and of course, Umi's parents too."

Kotori put her hand to her heart. "I have to admit, having police officers approach us in Akihabara was scary, though. I'm glad they recognised us in the end, though."

Honoka nodded. "Yeah! The point is, we seem to have enough support, and I don't think we really needed to promote our show. Again, word about µ's gets around quickly, even if our time is long gone."

"We were part of the first generation of school idols to really make it big." Eli said. "And honestly, I think we were the biggest school idol group in the world for a good few years. Honoka, our concert will be streaming live, right?"

"It will! It's part of Tokyo Dome City Hall's concerts nowadays, but I'm not sure. Hanayo's the only one who still pays much attention to idols, so I guess if we have any questions, we'll have to wait for her to get back from Chiba-ken."

"Hopefully her and Rin will get plenty of exercise from their time there. I'm not going easy on them when we begin training today." Umi said. "For all Rin says about staying hydrated, I hope they drink plenty of water. Anyway, Honoka...is there anything else we need to finalise for the live?"

"Nope!" Honoka beamed.

Umi sat back and sighed, moving a stray few strands of hair behind her ear.

"How did you talk us all into this, Honoka?"

Nozomi spoke up. "Aww, come on, Umi. You know this will do us all good. Sometimes, if you're living out a life of the same thing every day, or if you feel like there's nothing exciting going on any more, you have to be reckless and make the exciting events in life you want to see. There's always something."

"Yeah!" Honoka exclaimed. "It sounds crazy, but I'm glad. Sometimes something sounds impossible, right up until the moment you try, and suddenly, it's just like doing anything else. Sometimes, the only thing stopping you is anxiety."

Umi looked at Honoka in surprise. She was inspired by Honoka's words, but felt...unsure of how to express it. Kotori clapped her hands softly together in glee; "That was wonderful, Honoka."

"Aww, you're the best, Kotori." Honoka turned around and hugged Kotori in thanks as Eli and Nozomi looked on with smiles on their faces.

"When you put it that way, Honoka, I don't think I feel any anxiety at all." Eli said.

"Hey, don't give me all the credit! You helped convince everyone to do it all, Eli."

"You're too kind...I suppose we'll have to wait for everyone to come back before we talk about the Bon Odori."

And so they waited; morning made way for the afternoon, and the five of them moved back and forth between their rooms to make final preparations for the live, and for moving back home. Kotori took a nap on the living room sofa nearest the TV, Eli, Nozomi and Honoka sat in the garden together, chatting their troubles away in shifting sunlight under the trees. Umi walked around the house to clear her head waiting for the arrival of the other four, anxious to get on so they could begin training on the last day.

Rin and Hanayo were already on their way back to Akihabara Station via the Chuo-Sobu line, Rin having finished her morning session at the activity centre; Hanayo had browsed the shops nearby while waiting for her, and they made their way back quickly, knowing Umi would be waiting. Rin had incurred Umi's wrath before, and didn't want to do it again; she hoped she knew how to be quick when it wasn't her own speed on trial.

Maki sauntered back at her own leisure, not knowing when even she would be back to her family home, her head clear from the walk she'd taken. She joined Umi in the living room, eventually heading to the garden to meet with Eli, Nozomi and Honoka, leaving Kotori to rest peacefully on the sofa.

Nico took the bus back from the supermarket she worked at, indifferent. She stared out the window blankly the whole time, wishing she could take a job that treated her better, a job that treated her like she deserved - her former idol status didn't get her anywhere anymore.

Rin and Hanayo were the last to arrive, to their dismay. They only found vague evidence that Kotori had been in the living room, asleep; an imprint in the sofa, an almost empty glass of ginger tea. A quick exchange in the group chat told Rin that everyone was in the garden, and so Rin and Hanayo headed to their bedrooms to change into their training gear.

Minutes later, they walked into the garden to its familiar light breeze, and the sound of the leaves in the trees rustling in it. Everyone was waiting and ready in their training uniform, and Rin felt a little nervous walking out as the last to come back.

"Well, well, well." Nozomi said, standing up, doing her best mock impression of a supervillain. "You've finally arrived."

Umi stood behind Nozomi menacingly, and Eli flanked Nozomi on the other side to complete Nozomi's villain imitation.

"Sorry we're late, everyone." Hanayo said. "We missed our train and had to get the next one."

Eli stepped out from behind Nozomi. "Ah, Hanayo, Hanayo, Hanayo...If only you'd known..."

" _ **Boo!**_ "

"Ahh-!"

Honoka grabbed Rin and Hanayo's shoulders from behind, startling the both of them; Hanayo jolted a little and Rin immediately moved away, her back against the doorframe.

"Honoka!" Umi shouted indignantly.

"What? I saw a chance and I took it."

"I knew there was one person missing..." Rin said, clutching her heart.

"Anyway, come over. We have to fill you in." Umi beckoned Honoka, Rin and Hanayo over as the other six members of the group hauled themselves up from the grass.

"We'll have training as usual, of course." Umi said.

"It's time." Maki said.

"We're doing our rehearsal with the uniforms." Kotori said.

"This will give us a last chance to work out any problems with the outfits, as well as any problems with the choreography." Nico continued.

"And we won't be doing it here, but we just needed to meet here." Eli said.

Nozomi spoke, too. "We'll be rehearsing at the Tokyo Dome City Hall."

Finally, Honoka spoke, just as she moved back to her place in the group. "We have no time to lose! Let's begin."

A run through the less populated parts of Akihabara; Umi and Rin set the pace, and the rest of them followed. Rin's energy was boundless, and the rest of them wondered how she got the energy to keep such a good pace without losing breath, especially after coming directly from work. Nozomi had no trouble keeping up here, though the pace was slower than usual, to accommodate Kotori; Hanayo and Honoka stayed by her side at the back, ready to carry her the rest of the way should anything go wrong. The six in the front of them looked back periodically, also checking up on Kotori every so often. Umi's number two priority was to push everyone to their limits; number one was making sure nothing happened to Kotori. She was well enough to walk around the house freely by Thursday morning, and Umi prayed she'd gotten well enough to run. The Obon period was beginning to come to an end, and thus Tokyo had begun to populate yet again, generating its usual set of obstacles for a group of nine runners.

Kotori survived the run, and after arriving back home at Maki's house, a short break followed; bottles of water, towels and mikan, enjoyed sitting in a nine-person circle on the grass in Maki's garden. The garden was filled with the smell of citrus, and the sound of conversation. A minute to discard their peels, another fifteen to change and pack their suitcases with their tailored outfits and general performance items, and on Maki's orders, they moved back out the front to see the black shuttle they were so familiar with; Sana was waiting for them outside. He opened the door, and exchanged mutual bows with all nine of them, and they got in.

In the first row behind the driver's seat was Eli, Maki and Nozomi. In the second row, Nico, Umi and Rin, and in the third row was Honoka, Kotori and Hanayo. Honoka leaned on the seats in the second row, intentionally poking her head into the second row to annoy Nico and Umi as the shuttle took off towards the Tokyo Dome. Nozomi turned around, her arm hanging over the back of the seat, as she joined in with Rin and Honoka to annoy Umi and Nico as Eli and Maki chatted, with the occasional comment from Sana in the row ahead. Nico took all the attention from Honoka, Nozomi and Rin in stride, even joining in, while Umi responded with indignance. The three of them finally relented after Umi insisted they stop, after which point they went for Nico, who initially responded with the same indignance, but enjoyed the attention as Hanayo and Kotori looked on in amusement, and so played along with them. In their downtime during the ride, they performed various vocal warmups and tongue twisters on Umi's suggestions, though the journey felt shorter than expected.

Sana dropped them off at the underground parking lot nearby Tokyo Dome City.

Honoka's phone rang, and she answered right away. "Excuse me, everyone. I have to take this call."

Via the echo, everyone overheard her conversation, or her half of it at least as they took their things out of the shuttle and thanked Sana:

"Hi, mum!"

"We just got there. We haven't checked in yet, though. We have final rehearsal to go."

"Ah, well, the live was just something that happened mysteriously! I just wanted to catch up with everyone for Obon."

"Really?"

"Wait...are you being serious?"

"You thought the whole thing was for a reunion?"

"That...explains a lot..."

"Wait, who?"

"Oh, ehehe...I should have explained it better then."

"So, let me get this straight...this was you and the rest of your...mother network?"

"Oh, right."

"Huh...but wow, I'm definitely surprised! Thank you so much! You're the best, mum!"

"Okay, love you, mum! See you later!"

Honoka hung up, and was the last to collect her suitcase from the back and thank Sana. She approached the rest of them, and slowed as she came closer.

"Um, guys...I just talked to my mum and...I think her and all your mothers organised this live? And...I think my mum thought we were all meeting for a live, and organised it as a surprise for us..."

Maki spoke up. "...I know. Is this news to you?"

" _ **What?!**_ " the other eight yelled in unison, badly startling Maki.

"My mother told me! I...I didn't think it was important! I thought you all knew anyway!"

"None of us knew, Maki..." Hanayo said.

"We've had a few calls with Tokyo Dome City Hall a few times in the last week, but they said nothing, and I guess maybe my mum forgot to tell me..." Honoka said. "And maybe that's why we only had a week to prepare. It's not the best, but we made the best out of it, right, Umi?"

"Of course, Honoka."

"Makiiiii...you could have told us something..." Rin complained.

"I thought you all knew!" Maki said, raising her hands in surrender. "I'm sorry for not telling you, but we have this under control, don't we?"

Nozomi stepped towards the exit of the parking lot. "Aww, Maki, don't worry about it! And yep, we got this. Come on, we have no time to lose."

"Maki's family is still so rich..." Honoka whispered to Rin.

"I think it's more than Maki's family. My mother's been pretty funny about this too." Nico whispered, leaning in between them.

"I don't get how they did all this without us knowing. Was this meant to be a surprise or not? As idols, I'm glad we don't have to worry about the big details anyway." Kotori said from beside Rin.

Maki turned her head, around, but kept walking. "Hey. I can hear you whispering back there."

"But I don't get it! How could they all have done this? How did _we_ not know about this? How did they deal with promotion? I don't understand!" Rin asked.

"Who knows? Maybe they wanted it to be a show that was announced suddenly. Never underestimate the power of a network of mothers." Eli replied.

Though not of Maki's family, another sharply dressed man with slicked-back black hair waited for them at the exit to the car park. He bowed, and led them out into the outdoors, into the wonderful sight of Tokyo Dome City yet again, as the buzz of conversation from all sides filled the air; a pleasant walk through the pristine triangular-pattern paths, lined by green trees, the same trees they'd seen bright pink in cherry blossom season the last time most of them had been here, for their performance at the Tokyo Dome for the Third Love Live. The area was densely populated by people who would occasionally look and point at the nine of them, and parents bringing their children to the amusement park on the level below them. The smell of various items of food filled the air; Tokyo Dome City was awake. The word "µ's" was floating about; nobody heard anything in full, but it was there. Every so often, a poster for their show could be seen on the designated promotion areas.

Most of them tuned out by this point; they had no clear idea of how to proceed and so they switched to autopilot and let Maki deal with everything, taking in the sights of the bustling leisure complex. They passed the chairlift ride in the sky into what felt like a forest in the middle of Tokyo; for the most part, they walked in the shade cast by the canopy of trees above them, illuminated by the soft light of the afternoon, passing café after café after café. It was short-lived, as they moved inside to the Tokyo Dome City Hall soon after, as Maki handled the complexities of the second part of the rehearsal with reception. The other eight simply followed; reception, corridors, backstage, set suitcases down.

"Hey, Nico! Can we change into our costumes yet?" Rin asked.

"Sure. That's what we're here for. Amazing costumes, don't you think?"

The empty stage of Tokyo Dome City Hall felt warm; bar Umi, none of them had been on a stage in a decade, but...it felt right. It felt like it was only yesterday they were last up on stage, rehearsing, and everything came back to them. The feeling of moving as one, the thrill of a full rehearsal the day before, the songs blurring together.

Rehearsal went without a hitch; two full unit songs, three subunit songs, two full unit songs. Hanayo needed some direction during the subunit corner, but followed them just fine. Nico required some more vocal warmup and some more water as she found her voice faltering, but once again, no problem. Umi kept an eye on Nozomi and Eli to make sure they didn't tire - they didn't. There was an unscheduled break for Kotori's sake, but otherwise, no problems; Umi's tough regime had paid off, as had Kotori and Nico's careful collaboration on the live outfits. The staff were friendly, and attended to all their needs; Eli recognised one of the workers, who had actually helped set up their show at the Third Love Live in the Tokyo Dome; he'd seen many groups come and go, but never a returning school idol group, especially not after a decade. It felt right to be here, but...strange to be here after a decade. Rehearsal lasted just over two hours, which was record time, considering the fact that Umi's practices routinely ran _much_ longer; µ's still had it.

On Nozomi's suggestion, they sauntered around Tokyo Dome City for a while before heading back to cool off, and for one more thing; Minato Mirai.

Nozomi wasted no time, asking just as they exited the hall; "Before I forget...how do you all feel about going to the Minato Mirai Bon Odori later?"

Hanayo looked down, contemplating. "Mmmmm...well..."

"Aww, come on Hanayo, you're no fun. This could be our only chance for the nine of us to attend a Bon Odori festival."

"Sure, Nozomi, but can't we have a break before we go?" Maki said.

"This is our break, isn't it? We head home, relax for a little while, and head over to the festival. Honoka, Umi, Kotori and Elicchi are on board already."

"Oh, okay. I'm definitely up for it! Rin?"

"Yeah! I don't even want to stop dancing!"

"You know, Nozomi, you bought yukatas for half of us. Was there any way this wasn't happening?"

"Maki...you know me too well. Come on, let's go home so we have as much time to rest as possible."

It was around an hour they spent, idling around in Maki's living room, talking the time away; some of them waiting impatiently, some of them making the best of their time, some of them almost completely forgetting about the Bon Odori, and so they were reluctant to begin to get ready for Bon Odori, despite their excitement. Rin was the one to get everyone onto their feet; Rin and Hanayo got ready in Hanayo's room, Umi, Maki, Eli and Nozomi got ready in Nozomi's room, and Kotori, and Nico and Honoka got ready in Honoka's room.

"Rin, could you straighten my hair out for me, please? It's not working when I try it."

"Sure! Hold still."

Rin carefully straightened out Hanayo's hair with the straighteners; it had been a month since she'd touched a pair of hair straighteners, and so took to it with caution, and Hanayo did her best to stay still.

"Sorry, Kayochin. I just haven't styled hair since I got my hair cut."

"Don't worry, Rin. I'm sure you can make my hair look amazing."

A few rooms over, Honoka sat in front of the mirror while Nico breezily put her hair up, and Kotori stood by the bed, putting on her yukata.

"I'm almost sure I'll come back here some time, but how often is it going to be in the middle of Obon?" Kotori said, covering the right side of the yukata with the left.

"Minato Mirai is nice all year round. You can come to Japan any time you want, there's always going to be something." Nico replied, her eyes fixed on Honoka's hair. "A week isn't anywhere near enough to see all of Tokyo. Even if you used to live here, things have changed."

"I guess...I moved away from Tokyo soon after I graduated, so I've missed a lot..."

"It doesn't have to be Tokyo, though. Nozomi talks a lot about Sapporo, doesn't she? Maybe we could meet there too." Honoka said.

Upstairs, in Nozomi's room, Eli finally changed out of her training clothes, as Nozomi, Umi and Maki had already begun wrapping the bows around their yukatas. Nozomi took this opportunity to attempt to take Eli's yukata before she'd even put it on, much to Eli's dismay, as she snatched it back and held it close to herself.

"Nozomi...! I'm barely dressed!"

Nozomi smiled at her knowingly, barely even hiding the mischief beneath. "Then maybe hurry up, and I won't take the yukata. You look beautiful either way, so it's a win-win situation for me."

As Umi tied the bow at the back of her yukata, Maki addressed this: "Nozomi, I can't see back there, but it sounds like you're being mean."

"It's all good fun, Maki, don't worry!" Eli replied.

"Don't make me come over there, Maki..." Nozomi said, the mischief present in her voice now.

"Oh, really, rich girl?"

"You can't say that, Maki! You're the rich girl here."

"Come round here and say that to my face, rich girl."

They met outside the front door of the house. Orange crept up from the horizon as the sun started to set, the difference between light and shade passing through the trees in the front growing smaller and smaller. Eli wore what she'd worn to the Asakusa Toro Nagashi; floral blue yukata with a baby blue-eye motif, blue bow with gold stripes, golden hair in a messy bun with free strands falling, and a blue hydrangea bow in her hair.

Nozomi wore a floral purple yukata with a white cherry blossom motif, with a plain white bow around her midsection. Her hair was in a bun slightly neater than Eli's, reinforced with braids on either side of her hair, and she wore a small white cherry blossom accessory in her hair.

True to her elegant, more mature image, Umi wore a more simplistic dark blue yukata with a floral design, a light blue lotus flower pattern sparsely adorning the yukata. A plain light blue bow was wrapped around her midsection, and her hair was in braided loops on both side of her hair, along with a braided ponytail at the back; her yukata was in strong contrast to Honoka, who wore a blood orange yukata with various different flowers in bloom, green leaves, light yellow blossoms and dark blue birds rounding off the multiple decorative patterns, a yellow bow tied at the back of her yukata. Her hair was in a loose high ponytail, and she wore a yellow hairband with a yellow rose accessory attached to it.

Like Eli, Nico dressed as she did for the Asakusa Toro Nagashi; light pink cherry blossom motif yukata with a dark pink bow, her hair in a high wavy ponytail with a red ribbon, and two free ends of hair either side of her face; she looked nice next to Rin, who wore a vibrant and lively yellow yukata with a light orange cherry blossom motif, complemented by an orange bow and an orange headband, her hair braided from ear to ear.

Hanayo wore a red yukata with a light pink hydrangea motif, their patterns blooming elegantly across the lengths of the garment, complemented by a yellow bow; her hair was tied in a ponytail that fed back into itself at the tie in a loop, two free ends of hair either end of her face, and on her head she wore a red rose accessory, which contrasted well with the white ume flower accessory Maki wore, along with her black yukata adorned with red and white ume flower patterns and a white bow; her hair, too, was tied back in a bun.

Kotori wore a simple plain pink yukata with a red bow, and her hair was in a simple ponytail; life as a Parisian had toned her tastes down, though it didn't negate any of her natural charm.

"Well, are we ready to go?" Eli said, to various sounds and expressions of approval and agreement as they headed forth into the shuttle. They were greeted by Sana in a dark blue yukata, looking spry. The nine of them exchanged bows, and smiled.

" _Sana!_ " Half of µ's cheered, and he smiled.

"I'm ready as always, Nishikino-sama. Are you all ready to go? I definitely am."

"That would be wonderful, thank you." Nozomi replied as the nine of them piled into the van and Sana got into the driver's seat.

Ready for the Minato Mirai Bon Odori, the shuttle set off into the sunset, and on µ's last evening together...

* * *

 **By Lantern's Light**

Saturday evening.

As the sun started to set over Yokohama Bay, the strings of chochin lantern lights outlining the verdant Rinko Park started to come into their own, yellow turning to orange as late afternoon started to give way to evening. While they didn't burn as bright as the blazing white light of the pristine Pacifico Convention Centre complex next to Rinko Park and the uniform white squares of the guardian outline of the InterContinental Yokohama Grand Hotel, the festival did away with full-on illumination and instead opted for heart; with the scattered white streetlights around the lights of the stalls around Rinko Park and the Pacifico Convention Centre's concourse, the Koryu Zone, the Minato Mirai Bon Odori wasn't lit - it was illuminated. On the opposite side of Rinko Park was the massive Pacifico Yokohama Convention Hall, running the entire length of the park; between the Pacifico and the Convention Hall, a narrow, partially obscured road led from Rinko Park, further from the esplanade at the apex of Yokohama Bay, right back to the Koryu Zone; from all sides, it was surrounded by several tiers looking down on the area, and glass storefronts populated the first tier. In the centre of the concourse was a raised circular red and white platform with a small, square raised platform on top, a roof covering the topmost tier; string lights led from several different parts of the Koryu Zone back to the roof. From the platform, the traditional Tankobushi song could be heard; the traditional coal miner's dance. On the topmost part of the yagura was a taiko drummer, and on the lower tier, a fue flautist, a singer and a ring of dancers in elegant yukatas danced in perfect sync, walking around the platform; clap, clap and clap, making two steps forward, then a digging motion to the right twice, putting their foot to the ground each time. The motion repeated to the left, and the dancers then imitated carrying bags of coal on each shoulder, making several steps around the platform, before raising their hands to their foreheads with each hand to imitate seeing the moon after getting out from underground, stepping back twice around the platform. Finally, they resumed moving forward, making a motion imitating pushing a lorry forward several times, and they spread their arms out as if to open a gate, stepping forward again, before the dance repeated and they stopped to clap. In large circles around this platform on the ground below, people watched those dancers and imitated, walking in a circle just the same; children and their parents, the elderly, middle-aged people with their friends, even people who came alone; everyone joined in, and even if they weren't in time or if they were unsure of the motions they made, they danced. In a more loosely organised (but still crowded) circle around the Bon Odori dance circle, the less confident and those not in the mood for dancing simply watched, taking photos or videos with their phones, or watching others have a good time. It could be heard from any point in Minato Mirai - beyond the circles of crowds around the yagura, the traditional Bon Odori music filled the ocean air in parallel with the buzz of conversation scattered around Yokohama Bay from festivalgoers exploring the place; some took the stairs up to higher tiers of the Koryu Zone for the sake of exploration, some headed back to Rinko Park to see the stalls starting in the circular plaza at the end of the now pedestrian-only road from the Koryu Zone and running all around the edge of the paths in Rinko Park,, and some headed to the esplanade at Rinko Park to look out over Yokohama Bay, the faint orange reflections of Minato Mirai shimmering at the water's edge, the ocean winds in full effect, and the rest simply sat around on the neatly cut green of Rinko Park.

The Minato Mirai was a warm, moodily lit but crowded affair; it was its spirit that made it so popular.

A black shuttle came to a stop in the large vehicle parking lot to the east of Rinko Park, and ten people in yukatas spilled out into the open; Sana, Nozomi, Rin and Hanayo were first, followed by Nico, Honoka and Eli in the next row, and finally, from the back row, Maki, Umi and Kotori exited the shuttle. Sana locked the door, and the nine women stretched in various manners, yawning for extra effect. Beyond the line of trees, in Rinko Park, countless conversations were carried on the wind, a drone in the distance as those winds reached the parking lot, but even here, the music from past the other side of the park could be heard, if only faintly. The summer heat was heavy in Tokyo tonight, but was counteracted somewhat by the cool ocean air of Yokohama Bay.

"Boy, it feels so good to be standing up and stretching my limbs..." Honoka said, halfway through a yawn.

"No kidding. Traffic is fierce..." Rin replied.

"So, Sana, are you planning on anything in particular for the festival?" Maki asked Sana.

"My nephew and his daughter are here at the festival, Nishikino-sama. I'm meeting up with them soon."

"Wow...Natsuki's probably grown up a lot, too. We'll meet back here at 8:40pm. Have a good time, and say hi to them for me! And you don't have to keep calling me Nishikino-sama. Call me Maki."

"Princess." Nozomi sniggered under her breath.

"As you wish, Maki." Sana said, locking the shuttle's door.

He said goodbye, and the nine of them said their goodbyes in return.

"So, does anybody have any plans for today?" Eli said, turning around to face the circle that had formed at the side of the shuttle.

"I feel like dancing", Hanayo said, "it's been too long since I got to do something like this."

"Count me in!" Rin said, stepping over to Hanayo's side. "Does anybody else want to come with us?"

"Sorry, Rin. I think I'm going to warm up first and see the stalls and walk around Rinko Park for a bit." Eli replied. "Nozomi, do you want to come with me?"

"Sure!"

"I think I'll go with you. I want to take it easy before I do anything like dancing." Kotori chimed in. "Even if I'm giving it my all tomorrow, I'd prefer not to burn myself out tonight..."

Nozomi beckoned Kotori over to her and Eli, and another cluster of people formed. The rest stood undecided.

"Are the rest of you coming with either of us?" Eli asked.

"I think I'm going to see what's up at the Koryu Zone." Umi replied, looking up at the skyline, admiring the Yokohama Grand Hotel and the barely visible rainbow ferris wheel of Cosmoworld, the amusement park just east of Rinko Park, beyond the Yokohama Grand Hotel.

"I think I'll go with you. I'm not really sure what I'm doing just yet, so I'm starting from the top of the festival." Maki said, stepping over to Umi.

Honoka was last. "Hmmm...I think I'll g-"

She looked around; nobody was by her side.

"Where'd Nico go?"

"I thought she was by your side." Eli said. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. If she left, then I missed her. I can't see very well in the dark, anyway."

Nozomi reached into her pocket, and took out a pair of glasses. She quickly wiped the lenses with the sleeve of her yukata, and put them on Eli. "Is that better?"

"Thank you, Nozomi. I still can't see Nico anyway..."

"Aww, no problem, honey." Nozomi replied, kissing Eli on the cheek. "We'll send out a message on the group chat. How about we all meet by the yagura at 8pm?"

"Sure thing! We'll be there." Rin said.

"Yep, we can do that." Maki said.

"I'll be there! Right now, I think I'm going to, um...head off. See you all later!"

"Later, Honoka!"

Honoka set off towards Rinko Park, obscured by the darkness the trees cast as she headed further in, before disappearing in the crowd, leaving three distinct groups at the car park: Umi and Maki, Rin and Hanayo, and Kotori, Nozomi and Eli.

"We're off to go dance! See you guys!"

"I think we'll head off too. We'll see you later."

"Bye!"

Nozomi came between Eli and Kotori, and rested her arms on their shoulders. "So, any places in mind in particular?"

"I think we should just head forward and see what we find." Eli replied.

"Sounds good to me." And with that, Eli and Nozomi flanked Kotori, and each put their arms around her waist, and guided her gently forwards, out of the car park and into Rinko Park.

"How about a double serving of yakisoba?" Nozomi whispered into Kotori's ear, playing the part of the devil in her conscience.

"How about some goldfish catching?" The angel, Eli, whispered into Kotori's other ear.

"U-uhm..."

"Don't worry, we're just teasing you, Kotori. It's up to you to decide where you go! It's been a long time since you were last in Japan, after all." Eli said.

"I feel like some super ball scooping, now that you mention catching, Eli."

"Okay! If we see any super ball scooping stalls, we'll go play."

The three of them walked along the esplanade of Rinko Park, navigating a line of stalls and through the crowds of people coming both ways, making sure not to fall foul of the two steps leading downwards to the railings by Yokohama Bay. It was sparsely lit at this time of the evening; only half the lights of the buildings across the bay had come on for the night. Eli and Kotori couldn't help but steal glances at it whenever they could, while Nozomi looked ahead for a glimpse of Cosmoworld's well-known ferris wheel, in between checking the stalls for a super ball scooping game. A candy floss stall, a ring toss stall, another candy floss stall, the Pacifico, a mask stall...

"Kotori, I found one!"

"Oh, thank you, Nozomi! Sorry I was distracted, but Minato Mirai is such a nice place..."

"Well, you'll find out all about that in the next few hours, won't you? Come on, let's go super ball scooping. You always loved super ball scooping, didn't you?"

"Welcome! Would you three like to try some super ball scooping? 100 yen per person, and you can try to scoop as much as you want until your paper net breaks completely!" The stall vendor said, motioning for them to sit down next to the trough of water full of rubber balls.

"Yes, thank you." Nozomi said, paying for the three of them, thanking him as she sat down and took her net, a small plastic hand net with a flat paper ring in the middle.

Eli took a careful yet precise approach; she took three smaller balls out into her bowl without any paper net breakage, and took two more medium-sized balls with partial net breakage. She attempted to take another medium-sized rubber ball before the net broke completely, as she turned her attention to Nozomi and Kotori.

Kotori nervously put her paper net into the water, taking a cautious approach; however, she kept her net in the water too long, and so her net was punched right through the moment she attempted to take the nearest rubber ball in the water. Meanwhile, Nozomi had lifted three small balls and a single large ball, and turned her attention to Kotori; she looked disappointed that her net had broken without yielding any prizes. She motioned to Eli to hide the rubber balls she'd caught so Kotori wouldn't feel bad, and faced the stall vendor.

"Now that won't do...Sir, could the three of us have another go, please?"

"Of course! There...thank you!" He took the three hundred yen, and handed them three new paper nets.

"Okay, Kotori. Don't hesitate too long or your net soaks through, and if you go too fast, it will also break. Got it?" Nozomi instructed.

"Got it!"

Eli and Nozomi did not scoop right away, instead carefully watching Kotori, praying her net wouldn't break without prizes.

She selected first, looking for a viable cluster. Suddenly she struck, moving with flow at a restrained speed, scooping a large ball and two small balls, only creating a small tear in the net.

"Go, Kotori!" Eli cheered, holding her broken net above the water. Nozomi had already been and gone; two medium-sized balls, though she too watched on in excitement.

Kotori made another motion, obtaining a medium ball; however, the tear in her net grew wider. Another decisive motion, and she barely fished out a small ball before the tear made a complete circle around the net, and the small ball fell into the bowl Kotori held.

"Well done!" The vendor said. "Would you like to continue, or are you done for now?"

"We're done for now, but it was fun. Thank you, sir!" Nozomi said, setting down her broken net. The final tally: Eli 5, Nozomi 6, Kotori 6. Not bad.

"Thank you!" Eli and Kotori said in turn, setting down their nets and getting up. "Goodbye!"

"That was fun, wasn't it?" Kotori mused.

"You did pretty well for someone who hasn't been to Japan for 7 years, huh?" Nozomi said, patting Kotori's back in celebration.

"I've been sewing clothes half my life. I'm finally glad it paid off..." She said, laughing faintly, her attention focusing on Yokohama Bay again.

"Kotori?" Eli asked.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. Yokohama Bay is just...so beautiful. It's been, well...10 or 11 years since I last saw it."

"It's been almost that long since we last saw it too, remember." Eli replied. "How about we see it together?"

Kotori nodded, and once again, Nozomi and Eli each put a hand on Kotori's back, gently guiding her forwards towards the edge of Rinko Park, to the railings overlooking Yokohama Bay.

It had grown significantly darker since they got here; vivid orange had given way to simple darkness, and Yokohama Bay's lights were on; none of the lights across the bay were as brilliant as that of the Yokohama Grand Hotel, or the ferris wheel, or even Rinko Park, but it glowed the same orange as the chochin lanterns around the park, casting the same red shimmer across the bay.

It was a peaceful scene among the bustle of the festival.

"You know what, Nozomi...I think I could have some yakisoba."

"Oh, that's my Kotori!" Nozomi squealed, barely physically containing her excitement. "I saw a stall that looked really good. Eli, do you want anything?"

"Ooh, if there are any crepes, could I have a strawberry and chocolate crepe, please?"

"Yes, sure thing! I'll be back in a few minutes! I'll be back!"

And with that, Nozomi practically broke into a run towards the stalls, clearing the two steps in a single bound.

"...Was she that hungry?" Eli asked.

"She did say something about yakisoba when you were both whispering in my ear earlier..."

* * *

 **The Winds of Yokohama Bay**

Saturday evening.

"Nico? Is that you? Nico? Hel-oh, I'm sorry, miss! I thought you were someone else. Enjoy the festival!"

Honoka sighed, adjusting her hair again as she stepped outside the café in the centre of Rinko Park; she'd been looking for Nico for over half an hour in between the occasional festival game or snack, to no success, having started her second sweep of the park; she had, however, found plenty of other pretty black-haired women in pink-looking floral yukatas. It was becoming harder and harder to identify colours as the sun fell and the lighting of Rinko Park and the Koryu Zone grew more orange, and the colours of the yukatas on women Honoka had stopped were deviating further from pink. By this point, she was entirely reliant on the intimate orange lighting of the chochin lanterns to see, and much to Honoka's dismay, nobody else had seen her, as she looked at the group chat on her phone yet again, hoping for an answer. Honoka dialled Nico's number yet again, and was immediately cut off - no signal, as it had been for most of the festival. She'd managed to message to ask everyone where Nico was over text; however, she hadn't seen any of the responses yet, unable to receive them. Putting her phone away almost as quickly as she'd taken it out, Honoka sighed again, quieter this time, and headed to the Koryu Zone on the slim chance that Nico had joined a Bon Odori circle.

With every step, Honoka scanned the environment, sight and sound, for Nico, over and over and over. For all she knew, Nico could have passed by behind the back of a passer-by, or maybe she was behind Honoka. Maybe she wasn't anywhere near here at all. Honoka stopped near the middle of the plaza at the end of Rinko Park, turning a full 360 degrees. Nothing, and the fact that she could only see for around 5 metres in any direction before her vision was obscured by someone taller than her wasn't helping.

The path to the Koryu Zone was a storey above Rinko Park and the road from Rinko Park to the Koryu Zone, and provided a better vantage point for Honoka - however, she could barely identify people from even this high; all she saw was black hair, with the occasional lighter hair colour mixed in.

Hoping for better results, she moved ahead to the Koryu Zone, hoping for better results in the white light radiating from the windows inside the building.

Honoka ghosted through the crowds around the ring on the highest tier of the Koryu Zone; here, she was on the same level as the taiko drummer on the yagura, and the railings were roughly 60% occupied by people looking down on the dancing, some with their phones in their hands. She took her place at a gap between people and looked down at the festivities.

If Nico was here, Honoka probably wouldn't be able to tell; as easily predictable as a Bon Odori dance was, the whirlpool crowd beyond the circle made it impossible to keep track of anyone reliably, as did the people leaving and entering the circle. Black hair alone wasn't much help in identifying anyone, though Honoka did see two that stood out - one red-haired woman with a bun, who could have been many people, dancing with a dark-haired woman with hair loops and perhaps a ponytail...was that Maki and Umi? Red yukata, mature blue yukata, and again, those hair loops...it was Maki and Umi!

Honoka felt a short-lived urge to wave, before she realised they probably wouldn't see her anyway. She decided against asking them for Nico's location, as so not to bother them; they looked like they were having fun...

She took one hand off the railings and stepped back, scanning the crowd one last time and checking her phone yet again; no signal. With reluctance in her next step, Honoka took her other hand off the railing and headed back to Rinko Park to keep looking - she'd been looking for this long, and she wasn't letting her time go to waste.

It didn't feel right to be going to a festival alone, nor did it feel right to spend this long searching for someone. Honoka thought Nico might just be doing her own thing, but another part felt several different flavours of fear for her, that maybe Nico wouldn't come home with them tonight, or that she'd miss the live completely. They couldn't afford to have anything go wrong, not now.

Honoka's pace slowed to a shuffle, lost in her thoughts. She lost focus as she started absentmindedly pacing the esplanade, staring a thousand miles ahead, the music growing distant and the conversations of strangers becoming background noise...

Only in front of the bridge across the miniscule, canal-like inlet coming in from Yokohama Bay did Honoka see something; pink yukata, black wavy ponytail, red bow. She was sure it was pink, even in this lighting. She was walking slowly ahead of Honoka, slipping in front of someone heading in the same direction, and...she was gone.

Honoka gave chase, or least walked as fast as she could in geta around the tide of people, catching another glimpse of Nico heading right.

There wasn't much past this bridge to the right; she had to have stopped at the water's edge.

Sure enough, Honoka found her there, sitting on the shallow steps at the water's edge, past where the railings ended, out of the way of most of the crowd, staring out across the bay leaning back on her hands. Honoka recognised the body language; it was Nico. She looked ethereal, sitting melancholy in the glow of the lanterns, even if Honoka knew it was under tense circumstances. Honoka sat down next to Nico, leaving an extra inch or two of space for extra measure. Unsure of whether Nico had noticed, Honoka leaned forward slightly and looked over, examining Nico's eyes to determine where she was looking; still unclear. Maybe it was too dark to tell where she was looking.

"Nico...?"

Nico's head lowered ever so slightly, her eyes shifting uncomfortably, as if she was thinking of what to say, or whether she should say anything at all. Honoka waited motionless in anticipation, praying Nico would say something as the noise of the crowds seemed to melt away, like an invisible barrier separated the two of them from the festival, the ocean winds becoming ten times more audible, their hair fluttering in the chilly breeze.

"Nico..."

Nico shifted a tiny amount again, her body ever so slightly visibly starting to rise and fall with her breath, her eyes searching the water for something to say, but the answers she wanted didn't come to her, and Honoka continued to wait anxiously.

Finally, Nico's head dropped, staring straight down, and she let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Honoka."

...

"I can't do this. I'll only let you all down."

Honoka put her hand on Nico's, and looked her in the eyes. Nico turned her head towards Honoka, but not fully - just enough to see her eyes.

"You won't, Nico. You've done amazingly so far. You've done better than most of us, in fact!"

Honoka felt Nico's cool hands tense up slightly.

"Nico. Please. We've been through this before. I want to help you. If there's something wrong, we all want to help you, and you have to let us help you." Honoka said, entwining her fingers with Nico's and gently squeezing Nico's hand, trying her best to express empathy and hope in her facial expression.

Nico took her hand away as she raised her knees and held them with her arms, her eyes shifting between the water and Honoka.

"You remember how badly I did at the rehearsal, and it's nothing new. It's all that's ever happened. I let you all down when you actually needed me. You remember the times I've acted out this week. You know what happened when Rin graduated, and even how I acted when you visited two months ago, and I can't let it happen anymore. I'm sorry, Honoka. All I do is hurt people."

Nico stood up without another glance at Honoka, turned around, and headed back into the crowds. Honoka heard her geta moving away from her, and she got up, attempting to run after Nico.

"Nico! Come back! Please!"

Scrambling to get to her feet, she tripped over the first step she attempted to clear and landed on her side, the sandal coming off the foot she tripped with. Winded, she could only lie there coughing and watch as Nico hurried off, hiding her guilt.

" _Nico! Please! Please,_ _ **come back**_ _!_ "

No response. Still on her side, still too winded to move, Honoka watched her disappear completely.

The ground felt cold. This was bad; this was very bad. Nozomi wanted them to meet up, and Honoka felt that she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if Nico didn't show up, tonight or tomorrow. Taking out her phone, Honoka first instinct was to message Nico.

"Please come back! You're not letting anyone down!"

...

"Message not sent. Please check your connection and try again."

In desperation, Honoka tried to send a message to the group: "If any of you see Nico, call me."

...

"Message not sent. Please check your connection and try again."

No messages answering her previous questions, either. Either nobody had seen her or answered or there was no signal at all in Minato Mirai.

Honoka put her phone away and sat in the same position Nico was only a minute ago, burying her head in her hands. She stayed in this position for what felt like a full minute in the winds of Yokohama Bay, distraught. After that minute ended, she put her sandal back on and shuffled back towards the stalls, buying herself candy floss and staring out across the bay, taking a bite every few seconds.

She tried to send her messages again. Retry. Retry. Retry.

No signal.

Honoka slumped back down, sitting on the steps on the esplanade, absentmindedly chewing candy floss.

If there was no signal, and nobody to help her, then only one solution was left; it was up to her to find Nico.

It wasn't yet 8pm, and she had time. Honoka fixed her hair and got up, taking another look at the surroundings, beginning her search for Nico anew, closing her eyes and breathing deeply.

She'd sweep the park again and again and again, walking as fast as her legs could take her and as fast as the crowds would allow. She had to be out here.

Maybe on the green of Rinko Park...

Or the plaza at the edge of the park...

Or the steps to the oceanfront building entrance to the Pacifico...

...

Nico.

Honoka and Nico froze a metre from each other, startled by the sudden meeting emerging from the crowd - not even Honoka expected to find Nico like this.

Nico stepped back without a word, eyes wide open in shock, but she felt herself brush against several people walking past, and found herself forced back forward.

Honoka simply looked at her, sorrowful. Nico returned the look straight back at the ground, looking down sheepishly, fully aware of the foolishness of her hasty decision earlier. Part of her wanted to run of her problems again, but...she'd only hurt someone again that way.

A passer-by walked between them, and Honoka glared at him the entire time he came between them, focusing back on Nico after he was done. Like before, Nico looked down, unsure what to say. After a moment's pause, Honoka walked forward and hugged her, like she did two months ago. She stepped back once, but no further, breaking down.

Nico returned the hug after a second of consideration, resting her head on Honoka's shoulder, just like before.

"I'm sorry, Honoka. I don't know what came over me...I thought you all thought I was a failure. I thought I didn't belong."

"You're always wanted, Nico. You know what? I'll always be there, even after this is over. Any time, any place, call for me, and I'll be there."  
"Thank you, Honoka."

Honoka disengaged and took Nico's hands.

"Come on. How about we have some fun with some festival games?"

"That sounds good."

"Oh! Let's go get some shaved ice first! I wanna go get some shaved ice!"

Honoka let go of one of Nico's hands, but not the other, taking Nico by her hand as she bounded off towards the stalls at the plaza.

"Honoka, wait! Stop!"

"Huh...? What's wrong?"  
"...I want some ramune, too."

* * *

 **By Lantern's Fire**

Saturday evening.

"I have to ask...Umi, when was the last time you visited Minato Mirai 21, anyway?"

"If I remember correctly, it was when Honoka and Rin brought us all to Cosmoland somewhere in my third year."

"Was that when Honoka convinced you to go on the rollercoaster, and you screamed the entire time?"

Umi looked down.

"...Yes, it was."

Umi looked back up, back at Maki. "I thought you didn't like rollercoasters as a teenager?"

"I didn't. But we could all hear you screaming from the exit of the ride. Nico couldn't stop laughing."

"I'm still ashamed I let Honoka talk me into that. I thought I was going to pass out on the ride..."

"Oh, Umi...that's so adorable. Does Honoka still talk you into things like that?"

"I wouldn't say she talks me into it, no. I enjoy it to some degree, too, but we don't have as much free time as we used to. I don't, at least, and even Honoka's not as much of a live wire as she was."

"That's not really saying much, though. She's still the life and soul of the party. I understand what you mean though, nobody's as much of a handful as they are as teenagers. I can't apologise enough for how rude I was to you all back then."

"Oh, don't worry about it! You're a lovely woman right now, and that's all that matters, isn't it?"

"Thank you, Umi. I have to say, you've really matured too." Maki said, smiling at Umi, who promptly returned the smile, but instead opted to shyly return it down at the ground, silently thankful for the warm glow of the chochin lanterns for hiding the blushing that may or may not have been present on her face. Either way, she felt warm.

"I'm flattered. Honestly, I don't know what to say..."

"Aww, don't worry about it, Umi. I'm just glad we're having fun already. See, it's getting dark already." Maki said, looking over the railings of the wide walkway outside the first floor of the Pacifico Convention Hall, overlooking radiant Rinko Park. Even up here, Maki and Umi were forced to stay close to avoid being separated by the festivalgoers walking in the opposite direction; like Maki, most of them were looking across over the hedges at the very edge of the walkway, over to Rinko Park, fascinated by the outline the string lanterns drew. The two of them hadn't done much yet, having sauntered here from the car park. Neither of them had kept time, not having even touched their phones since setting two feet on the ground, but the sun had almost set completely now, and Rinko Park gained a halo in the descending darkness.

Umi followed Maki's lead and looked over the walkway on the side of the building, down Yokohama Bay and further ahead to the horizon, into Tokyo Bay. Lost in the sun's last few moments, the two of them took in the scene in awed silence; above Rinko Park's orange haze, above the light pollution of Tokyo, a wide cosmic vista revealed itself, and the stars started to peek out from behind the curtain - and the more they looked, the more they saw. Constellations took form, and every star shimmered.

Umi was the first to look away. She looked at Maki; Maki continued to stargaze, lost in daydreams, walking on autopilot. She looked so peaceful, as if she belonged in the sky with the other stars. That same twinkle appeared in her eyes as did that of the stars in the evening sky, and Umi herself felt that same peace looking into Maki's distracted eyes, lost in the stars just the same, as the content silence between them prolonged. Umi tried to hide her smile, but to no effect; she felt happy, and there was no denying it.

Maki broke eye contact with the heavens a third of the way further down the walkway, to see Umi staring straight at her, smiling, apparently daydreaming; Maki thought it was cute, but Umi had noticed her now.

"...Umi? Are you okay?"

Umi blinked a few times, and immediately looked away, her facial expression animating.

"I'm sorry, I just...saw you daydreaming and...wondered if you were okay...that's all."  
"...I see."

Turning the corner around the Pacifico Convention Hall, the smell of Italian food materialised, and a long queue came into view, waiting for a place in the Italian restaurant in the building, its windows spanning floor to ceiling across its length, the prices high, the food top-quality and the waiting times long.

"Huh, wow...you want to eat here later, Umi?"

"Are you sure? Look how long the queue is."

"I'm sure. We both love Italian food, don't we? And plus, I know messy festival snacks aren't really suited to a lady like you. Maybe we can come back here a little later."

"I'm not hungry right now, but that sounds...wonderful, actually. Thank you."

"Hey, I'm not hungry either. We haven't even reached the Koryu Zone, and we still have everything to see in Rinko Park." Maki said, looking down at the floor below, at Rinko Park's plaza for as long as she could before they fully turned the corner she was forced to face her body forward again.

"I suppose that is true."

The Bon Odori music grew louder with every step they took forward towards the Koryu Zone, every beat of the taiko drum resonating, every clap, clap and clap re-aligning them back into reality, and every movement of the circle stealing their attention as the obstruction of the bridge between the two segments of the Pacifico moved out of the way. First the strings of lanterns from the top of the platform to the railings around the Pacifico were visible, then the taiko drummer at the top of the platform was visible, then the circle of professional dancers, then the platform...Umi and Maki were unable to see any further, their line of sight blocked off by the shoulder-to-shoulder wall of onlookers gathered along the railings of the bridge, waving, cheering, clapping, filming. Maki soldiered on, guiding Umi by the hand down the stairs and out into the open like dolphins diving back into the ocean. They saw the crowd now; they _were_ the crowd. Skirting around the edges of the outside of the concourse on the ground level of the Koryu Zone, the two of them found a safe zone at the corner of the circular building in the Pacifico where the road intersected, upon which a string of lanterns leading to the top of the yagura passed through. The central circles of dancers around the base of the yagura was barely visible, but their clockwork motion was unmistakable through the passers-by, and here, both music and passing conversations were as loud as they could be, the heart of the action. Boxed in with 45 degrees between them, they split their attention between the yagura and one another, knowing full well what might come of this conversation.

"It's been a while since I've been at a festival with someone. I can't believe on what I've missed out on..." Umi said, looking on towards the professional dancers on the yagura.

"Sure, I'm enjoying being here with you, but what do you mean? Don't you go to festivals with Honoka?"

"I do, but...most of the time, I'm part of the mikoshi, and Honoka doesn't really enjoy prolonged heavy labour, so she never volunteers herself. I've been part of the mikoshi for all the festivals I've been to for the last year. I feel like it's my duty, and I feel like my parents will think I'm lazy if I ever just go to a festival to relax."

"You're feeling suffocated by your parents, huh."

"I...well..." Umi sighed. "Yes...even if I'm fine with my career, I can't help but feel like it was chosen for me, without me having any say in it at all."

"I hear you. My parents won't stop talking about the hospital they want me to inherit. My dad's been talking about retiring, and he won't stop dropping hints that he wants me to come back to Tokyo to begin my duties at the hospital my mother owns, and that's not even getting onto how much pressure they put onto me while I was still in education. I still remember every B, every C, every telling off for doing less than perfect. It's not the A grades I remember from my school years. It's the C grades."

"My parents always wanted me to set an example for Honoka. They were definitely supportive, but I remember once I achieved a F in a midterm exam in my last year, and they almost banned me from seeing Honoka because they thought she was a bad influence on me. I cried myself to sleep that night. They apologised eventually when Honoka got an A later that week, but I've never forgotten."

"My parents thought the same of Nico and Rin. They liked their charm and thought the two of them were cute, but it was pretty obvious to me that my father didn't think they were too bright. I'll admit, I'm not so bitter about it. My mother made me promise to help out Rin and Nico, and I gladly agreed. I don't regret a thing, but...I was glad to go to university to live on my own. It was nice to be independent, becoming a doctor like they always wanted me to be. It's so stereotypical, isn't it?"

Umi laughed, unable to do anything else in the face of such helplessness. "Being the smart ones wasn't easy, but we've made it this far, haven't we, Maki?"

Maki returned her laugh, looking back at Umi. "I guess we have. You could be any one of those dancers on those platform, easy."

"I wish I was that good. I'm not even sure if I'm up for dancing right now."

Maki looked back at Umi, seeing the moment and seizing it, returning her gaze and smiling, her expression sultry, knowing. She slowly wrapped her arms around Umi's waist, and drew her closer to herself; as she drew closer, she could feel Umi shaking, her breath audible, and though her facial expression held steady, it wasn't plain-flavour nervousness; it said: "Is this it?"

In that moment, the noise of the crowd, the Bon Odori music, took back seat to the two of them; only their heartbeats remained, their bodies almost close enough to synchronise that heartbeat.

Maki moved her hands up to Umi's upper back, and stopped Umi just in front of her own face, their noses only a millimetre apart. Umi was frozen, but her eyes didn't tell Maki to stop - they asked Maki what came next.

"No? We're both dancers. So let's dance."

Maki moved in, her arms tightening their grip on Umi; their lips locked. Umi didn't resist, instead choosing to return Maki's affections, mutually embracing her with her hands gently reaching around the back of Maki's hair, and under the fire of the chochin lanterns it all came back to them: a decade of lost feelings, five years of hiding from them, a week of coming to terms with them...and five long seconds of finally facing them. Their breath felt warm on each other's skin, and their hands almost hot to the touch.

Their eyes never left each other as they lips separated, afresh with new understanding, though they remained in each other's arms for another ten seconds. No more hiding, and no more avoiding the elephant in the room.

"Come on, Umi. They're waiting for us. There are only so many people on that platform, and they could do with some more professional dancers to follow. How about we dance?"

Umi smiled and nodded, her eyes welling up, sparkling. There were no more words to say. They slowly left each other's arms and Maki led Umi by her hand into the storm of Bon Odori music and people, remaining close together.

"You can either follow my lead, or follow the dancer's lead. It's up to you." Umi remarked playfully.

"There it is. I told you that you could dance."

The Yokohama Arameya Ondo was in full swing, and Umi seemed to know the dance well, even in the middle of it: she swayed her arms from left to right in a shallow figure eight, moving forward each time. Maki picked up quickly, and swayed her arms in perfect sync; despite barely being familiar with Minato Mirai, Umi seemed to be familiar with its Bon Odori dance, and after swaying her arms, she stretched her right arm out flat in the air and touched her nose with the tip of her left hand. She stepped forward and touched her nose with the tip of her right hand, outstretching her left hand, and repeated twice. Maki sensed a new motion at the end of this, and awaited the next motion from Umi, a step forward and a step back accompanied by her arms moving outwards in a flat semicircle, palms facing down.

Clap, clap, clap. They raised their hands in the air in front of their faces, palms facing upwards, and bent their knees.

Clap, clap.

Umi went to hold Maki's hand calmly for the next part of the dance, but Maki saw what was coming and beat her to it, practically grabbing her hand. Shocked, Umi looked over to see Maki smiling at her without restraint, inviting Umi to do the same. Umi reflexively looked away and stifled the urge to giggle nervously, but she still smiled as the entire circle of dancers held hands and moved around the platform, raising and lowering their hands to the music.

"It's a wonderful feeling, isn't it, Umi?"

Out of words to say, afraid of saying something to ruin the moment, Umi beamed back at Maki.

"You're so cute when you're not sure what to say, Umi."

The circle moved in the opposite direction, and the two of them dreaded the moment they had to break the chain.

Clap, clap and clap.

Clap, clap and clap.

Hold hands again briefly, moving only a little.

If only because it was when she and Umi truly connected, Maki decided that the Yokohama Arameya Ondo would always be her favourite Bon Odori dance, just for the way Umi's eyes lit up when she was having fun.

She didn't care about the passage of time, just so as long as her time here lasted as long as the laws of reality allowed.

* * *

 **Evening's Last Breath**

7:50pm.

"Oh, my...is that really for me, Rin? Thank you so much, thank you, I love it!"

"Aww, no problem, Kayochi-ah!"

"You're squeezing me, Kayochin!"

"Aww, but Rin, this dolphin plushie's so cute! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"I'm glad!" Rin laughed. "I knew you'd love that dolphin the second I saw it, and I knew I had to try my hand at the ring toss."

Hanayo finally let go of Rin, and hugged her dolphin plush with the same intensity Rin had felt. "I love it, Rin."

"You're so welcome, Kayochin."

Rin and Hanayo thanked the woman running the ring toss stall, and stood on their feet, heading back onto the path running through the middle of Rinko Park. Hanayo took out her phone and checked the time: 7:51pm. A rift in the crowds formed within a foot of them, accommodating the new obstacle of the two women. Darkness covered the sky completely now, and every star in the sky was out in force tonight. Hints of a chill were in the ocean breeze, and Rin's shoulders tensed up in reaction, about to shiver.

"It's almost 8pm...do you think we should get going to the Koryu Zone, Rin?" Hanayo said.

"Don't we still have a little bit of time? We know where the yagura is, we went dancing already...so why don't we spend more time here before we go dance again?"

"Are you sure? There's still a lot of people here, and we might get delayed..."

"Don't worry about it! Come on, I'll buy you some crepes!"

Rin headed towards the crepe stall she'd memorised early in the festival, further towards the esplanade at the edge of Rinko Park and escorted Hanayo by the shoulder, knowing she didn't do so well with crowds such as this one by herself. "Let's go, Kayochin. Lemon and sugar crepe, right?"

Hanayo nodded her head. "Right!"

Waiting time for crepes was 5 minutes; people came and went to the stall, and Rin and Hanayo had to move here and there to make way for new customers and people picking up their crepes countless times, but the two of them were still on schedule by the time they got their orders; a lemon and sugar crepe for Hanayo, and a churro for Rin.

"Rin, can you check the time for me? I'm eating this crepe."

"Sure! Um...7:57pm. Let's get going!"

Only Umi and Maki were present near the yagura when they arrived, standing dangerously close to the outermost ring of dancers around the platform. It was much hotter and more humid here, a layer of body heat from the hundreds gathered here lingering in the area.

"Hello, Umi! Hello, Maki!"

"Hi, Umi! Hi, Maki!"

"Hello, Rin. Hello, Hanayo."

"Hey to the both of you. is anyone else here yet?"

"I haven't seen anyone..." Rin replied, standing on her tiptoes and craning her head. She saw nobody, but after a second, she felt someone gently ruffle the back of her neck with their nails. Rin turned around to see Nozomi retracting her hand, Eli and Kotori standing behind her.

"Hey, you guys." Nozomi said. "Looks like everyone's almost here." Eli and Kotori politely waved to Hanayo, Rin, Umi and Maki, smiling pleasantly. Eli sipped the bottle of water in her hand, and a second later, Kotori took a gulp from her own bottle, half-empty. Umi and Maki politely returned their gestures, and Rin and Hanayo greeted them accordingly as Nozomi, Eli and Kotori took their place in between the two pairs of women, forming a small circle of their own.

"So, you two have finally gotten together, have you?" Nozomi remarked, looking between Umi and Maki.

" _What?!_ " Rin and Eli yelped, surprise on their faces. Hanayo's eyes widened, and Kotori tilted her head ever so slightly as Umi recoiled in shock, though Maki did not react.

"How could you tell that?!" Umi said.

"Oh, come _on,_ Umi. Do you really think none of us noticed? Staying up late in the living room together, sitting together every time we all ate...I could definitely tell, at least."

"Sigh...leave it up to the mother of µ's to figure it out so quickly."

"Oh, Umi. I notice everything. Don't feel too bad. You seem to be fine with it, Maki. That's good."

"Of course."

Maki put her hand on Umi's shoulder, and moved in.

Umi jolted away, startled. "Ah-! Maki, what are you doing?"

"Calm down, Umi! Fine, I'll leave it for now."

"What was it? I'm sorry, Maki. I was startled, that's all."

Maki put her hand back on Umi's shoulder, and rapidly moved in for a kiss on the cheek, moving away just as quickly. "That's all, Umi."

"Either way, congratulations to the two of you." Eli said, the other four nodding enthusiastically. "The members of µ's can only get closer, and I think that's wonderful. You know what? Come here."

Eli walked over to Umi and Maki, and hugged the both of them - not in her usual fashion, no - she hugged them both at the same time.

"I'm so happy for the both of you."

Before the two of them knew it, the others lined up to hug them in congratulations: first both Rin and Hanayo, then Nozomi's signature motherly embrace, then...Honoka and Nico.

"Hi, guys! Sorry we're a little late!"

After Nico hugged the two of them individually, Honoka and Nico took their place in the gap Kotori and Rin opened up for them.

"So, we're congratulating Umi and Maki on being together, right?" Honoka said.

"What? Even you know, Honoka?!" Umi said, her trademark brand of indignance present, her face red.

"Well, yeah...I saw the both of you dancing a while ago, and I thought there could be no other reason everybody would be hugging you."

"Everyone...knows..."

"Did you know, Nico?" Maki asked.

"You know I knew, Maki. I've always been able to read you like a book, and you and Umi made yourselves very easy to read." Nico replied, drinking the last of her melon ramune.

"And I you, Nico." She laughed.

"I'm sorry to cut this short, but do all of you still feel up for dancing?" Nozomi interjected. "This festival doesn't have much time left."

Nozomi's suggestion was met with light approval, and the nine of them headed towards the circle.

"Follow Umi's lead. She knows what to do."

Evening had turned to night; the lights of the chochin lanterns pulsed, and there was a chill in the night air from Tokyo Bay. The atmosphere hit fever pitch with the end of each Bon Odori dance, each song speeding up near the end as they always did. The left foot step and the motion of drawing Mt. Fuji in the air of the Dai Tokyo Ondo, the swaying arm motions of the Tohoku Ondo; the nine of them knew the festival was to come to an end soon, and gave it their all, nearly perfectly matching the dancers on the platform; every so often, they would smile back at each other in glee, barely able to contain the excitement, the fire they felt in their hearts, the feeling of being alive in the moment. The sound of the taiko drum echoed around Minato Mirai, and the final song was called out: The Yukata Ondo. The colour of the crowd changed as everyone pulled out their fans, and many of the remaining spectators joined the circle for one last dance, and the Koryu Zone flickered with the graceful sway of flowing fans. They let themselves fall into a trance, letting the fan guide them forward, and before they knew it, the last clap, clap and clap sounded and...it was over.

The festival was over. Hanayo and Rin continued moving forward anyway, completely oblivious to the fact that the music had ended. Kotori and Honoka had to pull them back to get their attention, and they sheepishly put away their fans, turning around in a daze. The crowd started to disperse and stalls started to pack up, and the ocean wind grew ever colder. Honoka sighed, putting away her own fan.

"It's over."

"Mmm-hmm." Nozomi replied.

"We had fun at least, didn't we?" Kotori said.

"Yeah, I guess..." Honoka said. "Let's go home. Sana's probably waiting."

Minato Mirai didn't sound the same without the taiko drums, or the singer. The chochin lanterns seemed almost lonely as Honoka passed them by, her gaze fixed on the strings of lanterns through the park. By morning, they'd be gone, and this would be Minato Mirai 21, the well-known business district.

Sana was waiting for them outside in the parking lot; he was shivering a little, and the wind was audible above the sound of the crowds.

"Did you all have a good time?"

Most of them gave a nonverbal answer, nodding or making noises indicating "yes".

"We had a wonderful time, thank you, Sana." Maki said. "Did you have a good time with your nephew?"

"We did, miss. His daughter's walking now, and she even took part in Bon Odori dancing."

"I told you, call me Maki. It's fine. But anyway, that does sound wonderful. Natsuki probably looks adorable in a yukata…anyway, shall we go? You look cold."

Honoka moved forward, but was stopped by Nozomi.

"Hang on, Honoka...the lovebirds go in first!"

"Nozomi..." Umi said, her posture stiff. She was looking at the ground in embarrassment.

"Aw, Umi, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it that way." Nozomi replied, guilty. She initially intended to embarrass Maki, but had forgotten that Umi was far shier than Maki ever was, and so she hugged Umi as her way of saying sorry. "You two can take the front row."

And so, Umi and Maki took the front row along with Kotori, Honoka, Nozomi and Eli took the second row and Hanayo, Nico and Rin took the third row.

"Is that a dolphin plushie?" Nico asked.

"It is!" Hanayo replied in the back row. "Rin was really nice and won it for me."

"It's really cute. Can I see?"

"Sure!"

Hanayo handed Nico the dolphin plush, and in the first and second rows was a six-way conversation, Umi, Maki and Kotori turned around in their seats to face Nozomi, Eli and Honoka. Sana put the radio on, lowered the volume and drove in comfort through the darkness and traffic of Tokyo.

For µ's, it was among the less energetic of their journeys, knowing they had to save their energy for the show, comfortably exhausted after the Minato Mirai Bon Odori. The noises of the outside world grew quieter as the shuttle moved away from Minato Mirai and further towards Maki's house. It felt so quiet when they exited the shuttle; the night air was the dominant ambience, punctuated by the occasional car passing by. They said their goodbyes to Sana, and for the most part, the conversations from the shuttle continued, if a little more hushed.

As Maki unlocked the door, all conversation threads were broken by Honoka.

"Hey, guys..."

The eight of them turned to face her, Maki's hand turned halfway.

"This is our last night. Why don't we sleep in the same room?"

Blank stares, silence.

"Come on, guys...you remember how it used to be at Maki's houses? We'd sleep in the same room, and we'd have sleepovers, and we'd all sleep together! Come on, please..."

Maki appeared to be thinking.

"I think it's a great idea!" Kotori chimed in. "It'll be like it used to be. Maybe there won't be big pillow fights, and maybe we're too tired for something like that, but it'll really bring us together for the last day!"

Maki nodded, making her mind up.

"Let's do it."


	7. Akihabara Terminus Interlude

**Notes:**

A kingblade is basically a glowstick that can change colours. They're bought at lives, and people can change their colours to different signature colours to show support for their favourite idol, e.g. during a Nozomi lead song, everyone changes theirs to purple, or in a BiBi song, people change it to red, light blue or pink.

Whew...sorry, but chapter 8's going to take everything I have, and so might take a while. No ETA, unfortunately...

LATER EDIT (09 October 2017): I'm not sure if anyone will see this but I'm...kind of regretting the route I've taken in this story. I feel like the live element was unnecessary, and I can't help but feel like I've let people down with this direction, and part of me is considering a rewrite. Does anyone agree with this sentiment? (Don't be shy! I really wouldn't want to write a story that left people unsatisfied)

* * *

 **The Last Night**

Saturday night.

The lights of the living room in the Nishikino family home were off, as were the lights in the kitchen and the guest rooms; viewed from the garden, only a single, solitary room could be seen illuminated; Maki's room. For the last night of their stay at Maki's family house: a sleepover in Maki's room. All nine of them, dressed in their pyjamas for the last night.

Maki's room was larger than the guest rooms the other eight had been sleeping in: in the centre at the edge of the room was an emperor-sized bed, in use since from Maki's childhood all the way until she left for Kyoto, and to the bed's right was a bedside desk with a lamp styled after the rectangular Toro lanterns, providing dim but acceptable light for the room. In the corner was a potted plant, and on the opposite wall most visible from the bed, were several posters: a single Hello Kitty poster, various tour posters from old idol groups, and even some of Maki's promo shots, but most notable was the A1 centrepiece poster on the wall in front of Hanayo and Honoka, a decade old - their old concert poster from their trip to New York. In the bright, vivid scheme of the poster, the nine of them crowded the image, smiling at the viewers against a New York backdrop in their red, black and yellow outfits, and Honoka stood front and centre, waving a red µ's flag up high in the air. Over the image, pink text with white outlines detailing times, places and names were in smaller text at the bottom, and biggest of all, the title: "µ's International Live!".

Honoka stepped away from the poster after only a few seconds worth of viewing, welling up at the memories coming back to her: the photoshoot, the trip to America. The training, the city lights that felt so familiar so far from home, their adventures in New York...the woman she saw in New York. She seemed like a mirage, so mysterious...who was she?

"...Honoka?"

Honoka remembered what she'd been asked on that neon-lit evening, separated from her friends.

"For whose sake do you sing for?"

"Honoka, what's wrong?"

That evening felt like a turning point in Honoka's life, like that evening had set in motion the events that led her here; the meeting with Maki, the evening with Nozomi, Eli and...Tsubasa. Tsubasa acted strangely that night...as hazy as her memories of that night were, the second question remained clear in her mind:

"What do you aim for?"

"Honoka!"  
"Ah!"

Umi suddenly appeared in front of Honoka's face between her and the corner of the room, ending her train of thought and bringing her back down to earth.

"Honoka, you scared us for a moment there. Is something wrong?" Umi said. Honoka turned around to see everyone in the room looking at her: Nozomi, Maki and Eli were sitting on the side of the bed, looking at her, Nico gently brushed her own hair by the window, looking over, Rin was peeking out from the bathroom's frame, holding her now rinsed clean toothbrush, and Kotori was stood behind Hanayo next to the poster, their expressions concerned. Honoka looked back at Umi in confusion, wondering what she was referring to.

"We thought something was wrong, Honoka. You were a million miles away, and you cried and stared at the wall, unresponsive. What happened?" Umi asked, a hint of assertiveness in her voice, desperate for an answer.

"Ummm...ehehehe. Sorry. That poster brought back a lot of memories, so don't you worry, Umi. I mean, that side ponytail looks so unfamiliar to me now. Don't you agree, Kotori?"

Kotori's concern didn't disappear, and she instead hid it while Honoka looked at her. She paused for a moment, wondering what Honoka could have been hiding.

"Umm...I guess so. I cut my hair when I moved to Paris, and that's when I stopped wearing my hair that way."

"Honoka, come on. What's wrong?" Maki asked.

Honoka stared back into space again, wondering if she should tell them, about the woman in New York, about Tsubasa, about all her doubts.

"Ehe...I think it's just pre-show nerves, really. That's all."

"Is that it?" Maki said, smiling. "Don't worry. We're all nervous."

Honoka returned her smile, and looked back at the poster. All she saw now was an old µ's poster.

"Maki, are you doing the Nico Nico Nii in that poster is it just me?" Nozomi asked, craning her head forward in the low light.

Maki did the same before moving her head back, having determined that she was.

"Oh, my...I was."

"What's wrong, Maki? Couldn't resist the charms of super idol Nico Yazawa?" Nico remarked with a teasing smile, continuing to brush her hair by the window. Maki returned her attitude, teasing Nico with a mock version of the Nico-Nico-Nii, holding her hands to the sides of her head, and Nico smiled and shook her head.

"Nya." Rin said.

"What?" Umi replied.

"Look at that...I'm nya-nya-nya-ing."

"You're what?"

"You know...nya." Rin imitated a cat's paws in the air, and made her best impression of a cat, pawing at Umi's nose.

"Rin, stop." Umi said.

"Aw, fine. My cat phase was a little embarrassing, but I loved it."

"I'd say you never truly left it behind." Nozomi said.

"She hasn't." Hanayo replied, hiding laughter. "Have you ever given her coffee? It's almost like seeing spring fever in a cat."

"I need my coffee." Rin said. "And, also my water." She picked up her water bottle from the floor, and drank.

"I'm reading some comments on my phone, and people loved your catlike qualities as an idol." Eli said, looking up from her phone. "They think it was cute. I'm still seeing comments on it now."

"Ah, cool! You're reading comments on our live?" Honoka said, a childlike sense of wonder entering her voice. "What site is it? What site?"

Honoka half walked, half ran over to Eli, sitting on the bed beside her as Eli shifted over to make room for her. In the background, the others continued their bedtime routine, laying out small mattresses on the floor, laying down pillows, undoing their hair from the festival...

"The school idol ranking site, apparently." Eli replied.

"The school idol site?! But we're not school idols!" Honoka said.

"Well, we're still up here, for some reason. Maybe µ's entry was never taken down in the first place. Maybe it got left there, and so when our...live was announced, it generated enough interest in us again to bring us up from the rankings. If they took us down, I don't think people would be happy, anyway."

"We're...we're number one in the rankings! We're not school idols any more, but we're number one!"

"It's strange, isn't it? We shouldn't be on this site at all, yet here we are."

"Reunion...I love you, Umi...Nico Nico Nii...Nozomi spiritual power...kashikoi kawaii Elichika...faito dayo, bread emoji!...A bird emoticon...rice emoji...more rice emoji...a tomato emoji...rice emoji again...Hang on, Eli...there's an admin comment here! He's a fan!"

Eli adjusted her glasses and scrolled back up, to where Honoka was pointing.

"Oh my...they did keep us there! And he's keeping us up here..."In honour of the greatest school idol group to ever grace the earth!", it says!"

"хорошо..." the both of them said in unison.

"I'm almost too excited to sleep now, seeing all these comments..." Honoka said.

"You might want to try to sleep, Honoka." Maki interjected, looking over from the other side of the bed. "We can't have any sleep-deprived idols, can we?"

Honoka gave Maki her trademark sheepish smile. "Don't worry, Maki. I can sleep."

"Hey, Umi...how was your time at Minato Mirai, anyway?" Hanayo asked, taking off her glasses and setting them on the small table next to the entrance to the bathroom.

"Apart from dinner at the Italian restaurant, I spent all my time dancing. It didn't go according to plan, but it was fun, anyway."

"What were your plans, anyway?"

"I thought I'd just end up wandering around Rinko Park, going from stall to stall. I certainly never thought I'd be dancing, let alone dancing the whole night..."

"Isn't that the fun of going somewhere with someone, though? There doesn't ever have to be a plan. What happens will happen, and you go along with it, having fun the whole way..."

"Really? I never thought of it that way. I'm used to planning things out and following them meticulously...it feels strange to have fun with something that wasn't on the plan."

"Well, Maki wasn't on the plan, but you had the greatest time, didn't you? I know we didn't see each other until the last few Bon Odori dances, but I could tell you had fun."

"Ah...I suppose not."

"Not everything has to go to plan. Sometimes, you have to be ready for when things go off the rails, and you can have even more fun that way."  
"Couldn't you consider that part of the plan itself?"

"Ah, but you can't plan fun. When I manage school trips, I notice that soon, the kids get bored after a while, and they just want to go home. They always have the most fun at playtime, when they can do whatever they want. Adapting can be fun!"

"Ahaha...I suppose I'm used to strict schedules and having things planned out for me. I can't imagine not planning everything, but I understand what you mean."

"Well, not everyone can afford to go off the rails all the time. I guess what I'm saying is, it happens sometimes, and it's best to work with it."

"Anyway, I'm sorry, but not everybody can sleep in my bed tonight. I'd thought about it, but...nine of us in a bed would be very uncomfortable. So, Rin. Hanayo, Kotori, you'll be sleeping in my bed. I trust you the most to sleep in my bed." Maki announced.

"Hey, why not us?" Nico asked.  
"You, Honoka and Nozomi strike me as cover hogs, that's why."

"No fair!" Nico and Honoka said in unison.

"It's true." Eli said.

"I thought you were on my side!" Nozomi said to Eli, to which Eli smiled and shrugged.

Maki looked over in Umi's direction. "Also, Umi, get over here. You're sleeping in my arms tonight."

The room's heads turned to Umi, and Umi froze in panic.

"M-m-m...me?!"

"Yes, you."

"M-Maki...I'm not s-sure...I...I'm sorry..."

"Umi, don't worry! You sleep next to me, and that's all! You can be on the end, and I'll be next to you. Come here."

Maki got off the bed and walked over to Umi, guiding her by the shoulder as Hanayo touched Umi's shoulder for support before she made her way forward. Umi was shaking nervously, and Nozomi withheld the sarcastic remark she'd initially prepared.

"Umi, it's okay! Don't worry, you don't have to."

"I...no, I want to..." Umi said, her face red as a tomato.

"Don't worry, Umi. I can tell you with confidence, it's a wonderful feeling." Nozomi cut in, rubbing Umi's arm sympathetically. "Eli was afraid too, the first night we slept together, but she said she didn't regret a thing when we did."

Eli nodded in agreement, looking at Umi with the same sympathy as she, Honoka and Nozomi got off the bed and moved towards the mattresses on the floor.

"...Come on, Maki." Umi said, sitting down on the bed and shuffling towards the other end, beaming at Maki.

"That's my Umi."

Maki moved down to the end, next to Umi, and Kotori, Hanayo and Rin slowly got into the bed, keeping distance from Maki and Umi: Rin went in first, then Kotori, then Hanayo. Eli and Nozomi moved their small mattresses together and lay down together. Honoka and Nico were last to their mattresses, and although they were the only two to sleep without someone in their arms, the last thing either of them saw were the other's eyes in the dim light, weary but content. They gave each other one last look of support, and shut them. Nozomi was out before saying goodnight, and Eli laughed.

Rin put her arms around Kotori, and Hanayo did the same.

"Rin? Kotori? What are you doing?"

" _We're_ going to protect you from illness for the show tomorrow." Rin replied.

"We're going to make sure a happy and healthy Kotori makes it to the Tokyo Dome City Hall." Hanayo continued.

"I...thank you..."  
"Aww, no problem, Kotori! Goodnight, everyone!"

"Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, everyone!"

"Night!"

"Goodnight, everyone."

"Night, all! Let's all do our best!"

"Night night."

"Goodnight, everyone! I hope we all do well at the show tomorrow!"

"...Nozomi?"

"She's asleep, Honoka."

"Ah, that's fair enough."

Maki turned off the lamp's light, and only moonlight remained.

* * *

 **Hopes and Dreams of the World**

Saturday night.

At the end of Saturday as they lay in bed awake, bar one, every single member of µ's thought about how far they'd come, how tomorrow would play out, how even Honoka's plans hadn't played out like she thought, what would happen after Sunday, and how unreal it felt that it was already the last night at Maki's house.

In this day lay the doubts, hopes and dreams of a former school idol group come together for one last show.

The world slept with them, and unknowingly shared their hopes and doubts; for every hope was a legion of fans waiting to see their favourite idol live, for every dream a new generation of fans awaiting the day they saw the idol group µ's in action, for every doubt a former idol enthusiast rekindling their interest, for every girl a wish. Sometimes, despite everything they did, they forgot the world around them, that there were people out there who looked up to them, or at least used to look up to them.

Kotori wondered if life wasn't as easy as she once thought it was, that she'd keep encountering obstacles like her own illness. Perhaps a quaint café life in Paris wasn't possible, and that like her idol career, it too would have to come to an end. She knew her life would never be the same the moment she met Honoka, and she knew her life would never be the same after reuniting with Honoka - all roads seemed to lead back to Honoka, and Kotori didn't doubt that Honoka would be in their lives for as long as they all lived. Eventually, comforted by Rin and Hanayo's embrace, she let go of her doubts and drifted to sleep.

Hanayo saw the poster with Honoka, and understood how she felt; she was everything she once was and more, but she wasn't getting any younger either. Unnerved by these new thoughts, Hanayo, too, let go of her doubts and like the worry-free spirit that was Rin, let Kotori's warmth put her under. Hanayo wasn't ready to let this end, but it wasn't over yet.

Maki went to sleep, hopeful; Honoka's burning spirit motivated her to be so much more. Like Honoka, she too could change lives; her worries took back seat to her hopes, that she would make her parents proud again. Umi felt tense to her, maybe even afraid, and so Maki wrapped her arms around Umi a little more, bringing them closer together, and kissed the back of her neck reassuringly. Umi's shoulders loosened up a little, and she could be heard ever so slightly, clearing her throat quietly. Maki relaxed, and soon fell asleep, unknowing of what went through Umi's mind.

Eli watched over Nozomi, no thought in particular taking her fancy on the road to sleep - she thought about all the things she'd seen in the last week, and everything Honoka had done for her. She thought about how she didn't invite any of them to the wedding, and how she'd invite them to the ceremony the next time she renewed vows. Eli may have lost her edge, but she carried no doubt with her into the fray; she was at peace with life.

Nozomi dreamed. No symbolic dreams, no stress dreams, nothing presenting her own mortality to her. Just a dream of the nine of them, together, and she couldn't be happier.

Nico had no thoughts that screamed to be silenced. For once, she could go to sleep without being sabotaged by her own thoughts or her own sorrow. As long as any of them were here for her, she had everything she needed. The voice in her head that told them they were all going to leave her when this was over was silent now.

In her thoughts, Honoka was everything and everyone - she felt everything, she knew everyone, she knew every doubt that plagued them, but at the same time, every hope and every strength. Her eyes opened, restless; she saw Nico a metre ahead, her eyes shut, her long hair on the ground in all directions around her. No motion. Honoka felt tense; she wanted to move, but stayed still, terrified she'd wake someone with any motion. Eventually, she relented and rolled onto her back, and felt a wave of relief in the comfort she felt.

Honoka dreamt again, of New York. This was the first vivid dream of New York she'd had in years, having had a full year of recurring dreams about it, interspersed with recurring dreams of their performance at the 3rd Love Live after coming back home. It was just like the dreams she'd had as a naive teenager who'd finally experienced the world beyond home: she dreamt of walking the evening streets of New York City on her own, the faces of µ's, both adult and teenage, coming and going in the crowd without so much as a glance at her, and the buildings lining the central street glowed bright lilac, casting a neon haze over her dream. Car horns sounded in the distance, a car driving down the street every so often, and the noise of the crowd was deafening, though it took back seat to fragments of the song she'd later discovered to be As Time Goes By - she heard it all around her. She was a teenager again, and like before, she crossed the streets to see where the music was coming from; though the music echoed through the streets of New York, she still felt a compulsion to head to the nearby alley where a crowd was gathered.

Long orange hair, mature composure, haunting voice: it had to be her.

The singer looked at Honoka, and Honoka saw her eyes; it was Honoka's adult self looking back at her, and suddenly Honoka felt a shift - she was both her adult self and her child self at the same time, singing automatically, watching herself sing, watching herself watching herself sing. She felt several emotions at once: sorrow that she was no longer a carefree teenager, joy that she'd grown up to be a wonderful adult, longing for the thrill of travelling and the streets of New York, and for times gone by.

From the darkness in the other side of the alley, from the open streets, floating fans tracing trails of light behind them approached the crowd, and their owners materialised a second later. The faces of µ's took form and the nine of them approached the singer in the alley, herself, watching the performance. More and more people kept coming: Sana, her mother...Miho, Ana, Alisa, Umi, Maki, Kotori and Nico's parents, Rin and Hanayo's parents, Eli's grandmother, Tsubasa, Erena and Anju...last but not least was her own father's smiling face, and suddenly there was another shift.

She was performing with µ's at the Tokyo Dome, a sea of lights from the kingblades the crowds held before them, in every colour, in every arrangement, like an ikebana arrangement expressing all the emotions on the spectrum, all for them. Honoka didn't know what song they were performing; just that they were performing, and the nine of them felt their heartbeats synchronise - she felt alive as their formations changed like clockwork and they circled the stage, singing from their heart and soul, singing loud enough for all the world to hear. Their outfits sparkled and shimmered their signature colours, and the colours of the kingblades followed them in the crowd, an orange zone circling Honoka as she skipped, swayed, twirled and danced. The kingblades grew lighter, and the roof of the Tokyo Dome opened to the heavens, casting a spotlight on the stage. The nine of them started to leave trails of light as they moved around the stage and the light grew brighter and brighter and brighter...

Fade to white.

* * *

 **The Sleepless Ocean**

4am.

In the oppressive silence of the border between dusk and dawn, Nozomi opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling. She didn't remember going to sleep on her back, but she was here now; Eli was fast asleep, her arm tightly squeezing Eli. It didn't hurt; this couldn't have been what woke her up.

Nozomi saw motion in the corner of her eyes, and without moving her head, her eyes shifted towards the door.

She saw a figure in the darkness moving in slow motion towards the door, moving gracefully yet slowly, their footfalls only audible in silence. Presumably, the other seven were fast asleep, and Nozomi recognised the figure's long hair and poise - it was Umi, leaving the room early in the morning for some unknown reason, the night before they were due for a show.

Umi opened the door, and closed it without a sound. No footfalls could be heard from the other side of the door, no sound, nothing.

It was too early for the cicadas, too early for the birds, and too early to be awake. Moonlight radiated faintly through the curtains, and Nozomi only saw...things in the dark, asleep on the floor. She gently lifted Eli's arm off her, prompting a high-pitched moan, though she did not wake, and she sat up, observing as best she could in such low light. Her eyes adjusted after a minute, and she felt confident enough to stand up without a sound and so, inspired by how discrete she was rising to her feet, Nozomi made her way to the door. Her footfalls made more noise than Umi, though nobody responded much to her relief, and so she continued to the door, opening and closing it without a sound, to her continued relief. She internally sighed, knowing she'd have to do this all over again when she came back in, and considered going back to her room.

Nozomi knew where everyone went to be alone: the garden.

Turning the corner into the garden, Nozomi saw Umi in her pyjamas standing in the middle of the garden on the grass, her phone to her ear, the only light in the garden glowing a harsh white. A quiet, mild breeze washed over the garden, rustling the leaves in the trees. Nozomi stepped forward but paused when she heard Umi's hushed voice, barely audible, her posture stiff. The grass was wet under Nozomi's bare feet with morning dew, typical of such a humid summer.

"I see. Thank you. I'll be there at the Mitsui Memorial Hospital soon."

Umi hung up the phone and turned around to see Nozomi standing a metre away.

"Nozomi." Umi said in her same hushed voice, her facial expression hidden in the dark as she turned off her phone's display.

"Umi. What's wrong?" Nozomi replied, taking on the same smooth hush as Umi, like a mother comforting a child.

"Don't worry. It's nothing. Go back to sleep, I just have to head out to take care of something."

"No, Umi. Something's wrong."

"I wouldn't want to burden you with it. Now go back to sleep, I have to take care of this."

"Is something wrong?" A third voice said, moving towards them, and Umi and Nozomi turned to see Nico walking towards them, rubbing her eyes.

"Nico..." Umi said, the worry apparent in her voice. Nozomi turned her attentions back to Umi as Nico stood beside her.

"Don't worry yourself with details, Nico." Umi assured her. "I'm not going to burden you with my own life. Both of you, go back to sleep. You have a show tomorrow."

"I've spent the last 15 years telling people not to worry themselves with my life, Umi, and it's gotten me nowhere. You have to tell us or it's only going to cause us all pain."

Umi started to tear up, and her voice started to waver, and she started to shiver.

"No, Nico, you don't understand. This is different. I can handle this by myself, so please, go back inside."

"This is no different, Umi. We all share our problems, and this isn't the exception."

"It's obvious something's wrong, Umi, and we can't have you doing a live hiding your problems from us. We've all hid problems from each other in the last week, but we all eventually learned it was a bad idea. Please, Umi. Please."

Umi could barely make out Nico and Nozomi's faces, but she didn't need to in order to see sympathy. She didn't reply, but didn't refuse to reply either, instead looking at the both of them, wondering when the right time to tell them was, the shaking growing more violent, wondering why she was incapable of holding her tears back and stopping her legs from shaking. Her breathing grew unsteady.

"Umi?" Nozomi asked.

"My...my father's been...been hit by a car. He's...he's alive but...no, no."

Nozomi and Nico's eyes widened, and they looked at each other in concern.

"This is the second time he's been hit by a car. The first time left him with brain damage, and I'm afraid something might happen. They say he had a seizure. I have to go. Please. Please!"

Umi's shaking grew more violent still and her sobs were audible, squeaky, high-pitched sporadic noises. She didn't understand why this was happening to her. She didn't want to deal with the reality of what she'd been told, and she wanted to believe that this wasn't really happening, that something like a hospitalisation couldn't happen to a family as ordinary as her own. It couldn't happen. It shouldn't. Her father was a healthy man with many years left on his life. Nothing should be happening to him.

Nico took Umi by the shoulders and drew her in quickly for a sympathetic hug, the sobbing continuing, Umi's breathing still unsteady.

"Umi, I'm so sorry."

"Let it all out."

"Umi." Nozomi whispered into Umi's ear. "I've arranged for transport to the Mitsui Memorial Hospital. They'll be here soon. Take as long as you want to get ready." She stroked Umi's hair, and took a step towards the side of the house. 15 seconds passed and Umi gained composure, and corrected her breathing, though it was still audible, and somewhat strained even as Nico disengaged.

"I believe I'm fine now. I'm so sorry you had to see me like that...I shouldn't have lost composure."

"Don't be sorry, Umi. You reacted the way anyone else would, and you're only human." Nozomi assured her, resting her hand on Umi's shoulder.

Umi took a deep breath in. "Let's go."


	8. Someday of My Life

**Notes:**

I spent ages being terrified that a week was an unrealistic timeframe for a live. Turns out that for the Final Live, they only rehearsed for around two weeks, and they also only had a full-dress rehearsal the day before the concert. Never underestimate the miracles they can work! (And on a side note, now that I think about it, 29/30/31 isn't too old an age, considering that most of them have taken on active jobs, and if they're even a fraction as superhuman as the cast during the Final Live, they'll do just fine!)

Hiyashi chuka is a summertime noodle dish in Japan, essentially it's chilled ramen noodles best eaten in the hot, humid Japanese summer.

Sorry for the wait! In addition to being busy, I have spent a LOT of time trying to make this work. When I have time, I'll rewrite the story for ease as you may have noticed that I'm tripping over myself trying to explain every aspect about the live, but I think I have an idea as to how to proceed. Initially all of the final part (excluding the epilogue) was all going to be one chapter, but...this ended up being verrrry long and the final part will be even longer so I decided to go with this being a short chapter and the as of yet undefined second part instead of one painfully long chapter. Think of it as the build-up - I wouldn't want to fatigue the reader! And plus, it'd be better to put out SOMETHING instead of keeping you all waiting, because the next chapter is going to be the hard part I talked about last chapter. A rewrite isn't off the table yet, but I want to finish my original vision first.

There are a lot of things I wish I could change about this story. But even if I did change those things, who would see them? A story doesn't have to be perfect, and I still learn a lot either way. I had great fun writing this and still enjoy it greatly.

* * *

 **Sunrise**

Sunday morning.

The last morning had come for µ's; sunlight lightly pushed at the curtains and the ever-present sound of cicada chirping had started for the day, its shrill noise soft in the background by the time it reached Maki's room, failing to puncture the warm sleeping silence of the room.

The first to wake was Maki, sitting up as usual for three seconds before realising something was missing. She rubbed her eyes, opened them and paused, looking at her empty arms and the space between her and the bedside table; Umi was missing.

Her first night in a relationship proper, and her lover had snuck out in the middle of the night.

Resigned, Maki scanned the room; Rin, Hanayo and Kotori were still in each other's arms, their heads together, Hanayo's content, unconscious airy breathing the only noise coming from all three of them. Honoka's limbs were sprawled out at strange angles, her arm straight out and onto Nico's mattress, though Maki couldn't see Nico, her mattress obstructed by the foot of the emperor bed.

Eli was barely visible beyond the foot of the bed, though her long blonde hair was spread out beyond her pillow and across the floor, and her arm was sticking out across both mattresses.

Nozomi was gone.

Maki's heart stopped, and she believed, if only for a moment, that Umi had run away with Nozomi, before groaning at the idiocy of her own tired suggestion and rubbing her eyes again. She heard rustling besides her and to her left, Rin sat up and Maki saw her bright green eyes looking straight at her, a mute curiosity present on Rin's face.

"Living room?" Maki mouthed to Rin, pointing to the door of the bedroom, to which Rin nodded firmly as Maki grabbed their phones from the bedside desk.

"Maki, what's wrong? Where's Umi? Do you know where Nozomi is? Where's Nico?" Rin asked as the two of them settled on the living room sofa opposite the dormant TV, almost pleading to Maki for an answer.

"I'm sorry, Rin...I don't know. This is bad."

"Surely you don't know where Umi is? _Please_ , Maki…I can't have this happening again!"

"Rin, calm down! I'm sure they have a reason! Let me call them."

Maki sat down on the living room sofa, and dialled Umi; much to her shock, she was immediately redirected to Umi's voicemail. She tried again with Nico; voicemail. Finally, she called Nozomi; voicemail again.

"No, no, no, _no_ , _no_ , _no_ , _no_..." Rin exclaimed, her eyes glassing over in panic as she looked at the floor and leaned forward, her hands balled in fists over her mouth. "Do you think something's happened to them, Maki?"

"I don't know, Rin." Maki murmured, fatigue obvious in every word. "Please, calm down. It's too early for panicking."

Maki's drowsy eyes showed nowhere near as much life as Rin, but they felt the same fear: the fear of losing someone for the second time.

"Rin." Maki turned in her seat on the sofa to face Rin directly, her eyes pleading as much as they could. "This has happened before."

"W-what are you saying? Maki, what are you saying?"

"R-Rin...no, I'm saying that you've felt this before. But you're a mature woman now. You're stronger than you were before. Do you understand where I'm going with this?"

Rin nodded, serious understanding in her eyes.

"Umi hasn't run away, and neither has Nico or Nozomi. It's...just that they had to go somewhere. I don't know where, but they must have had a reason."

"Maki...are you telling me this for me, or for you?"

Maki didn't reply, opting to look away nervously.

"Umi's dealing with loss, too, Maki, and we've all handled it before. Everyone shares your pain."

"Yeah, I just...I've barely reconnected with Umi and already I have this awful feeling in my stomach, like something's really wrong, like the whole thing's doomed to fail already before it's even begun. Is this what it supposed to feel like, Rin?"

"I think that everyone reacts to things in their own way, Maki...I haven't had anything happen to me like this, so I don't know what you or Umi are going through. But she'll be fine. We'll all be supporting her, Maki. And I'll be supporting you, too." Rin said, shuffling towards Maki and relaxing her posture.

"Wow, Rin, I...didn't think you were so mature."

Rin smiled, and giggled quietly. "I didn't either. Maybe this is a surprise for both of us."

Maki laughed in kind, her expression saying: "I guess it can't be helped...", showing both her laughter after the sounds stopped coming from her mouth, and the subsequent worry it hid coming to the surface.

"Should we wake everyone?" Maki said, her worry burning away the last of her fatigued front.

Footsteps approached from the corridor, and a voice came from their direction.

"No need." Eli said, her voice a grave but firm murmur.

"Eli!" Rin exclaimed.

"Good morning, Rin. Good morning, Maki."

"Do you know where they are? Nozomi?" Rin said, hopeful.

"Nozomi was gone when I woke up, but sent me a message." She said, showing Rin and Maki the contents of the message on her phone's screen. "Umi's father was involved in a serious accident, and her, Nozomi and Nico are with him in the intensive care unit at the Mitsui Memorial Hospital. Phones aren't allowed in there, so I don't know any more. They didn't say anything about visitations, but I think we should try to comfort Umi."

"That's terrible! Is he okay?" Maki said, her half-open eyes jolting open in shock and fear.

"I don't know, Maki." Eli replied, her expression remaining stone. "She hasn't replied, so she's probably turned off her phone already."

"What about the live? I know it's not what I should be thinking about, but that's this afternoon..." Rin replied. "And only you've really been talking with everyone's parents and Tokyo Dome about it, so only you know the details about setting up..."

"It's true." Eli said. "We're in the dark here as to how to proceed, Maki. Ultimately, the next course of action here is up to you. I'm going to the hospital to find Nozomi. I don't know what the two of you doing, but I know where I'm going."

"Eli?" Maki said, taken aback by Eli's seemingly cold, decisive attitude.

"Maki, I'm sorry, but we need to get things done today, and Honoka isn't exactly a morning person. You have a choice here ahead of you: you can set up the show better than anyone else, or you can comfort your girlfriend in the hospital. Both are valid options and we will understand and support you no matter what decision you take, but you need to decide now."

* * *

 **Tension**

Sunday morning.

The last fragile pieces of the sleepy silence in Maki's mostly empty room was shattered by the sound of three alarms ringing relentlessly, rousing Honoka, Hanayo and Kotori from their sleep; Hanayo scrambled out of her duvet, frantically put her glasses on and deactivated the alarm on her phone, breathing heavily and holding her heart. Kotori rolled over and deactivated the alarm on her phone without even getting out of bed or opening her eyes, entering her phone's PIN code and navigating several menus on her phone's touchscreen from sheer muscle memory. A moment later, she slowly rose, rubbing her eyes and squinting, blinking rapidly to become accustomed to the shift from darkness to light.

Honoka opened one eye as little as she could and deactivated her phone's alarm, rolling over onto her back and moving half her duvet off her body and opening her eyes. She lay in this position for several seconds before her eyes fluttered shut again and her body remained motionless, her sleep cycle beginning anew, her right hand falling back to the ground.

From the open doorway, Eli watched with a mixture of impatience and curiosity as to how they'd all respond to their alarms, leaning against the outer edge with her arms folded as she watched the three of them wake up in the least graceful way possible, or at least as she watched two of them wake up and the last person, the leader, fall back asleep after turning off her own alarm.

"Good morning, Eli..." Hanayo murmured, hoisting herself out of bed and brushing her hair back with her hands.

"Good morning, Eli." Kotori said, her eyes still getting used to the bright light as the sun's rays intensified and brightened such that the dust floating in the room became visible. A small, amused smile appeared on Eli's face, and she stepped over to Honoka and knelt down, gently shaking her and stroking her hair to ensure she wouldn't make any sudden movements: "Wake up, Honoka. Come on, it's the big day."

Honoka pawed at Eli's arm before opening her eyes halfway and yawning and removing the other half of the duvet, propping herself up on both arms.

"Good, you're awake, Honoka. Come into the living room. You'll need to wake a up a little more for what I'm going to tell you."

"Cof...Coffee?"

"Yes, you may have your morning coffee. Hanayo, Kotori, are you awake!"

"Yep!"

"Definitely!"

"Come on, then. Let's go to the living room."

Hanayo, Kotori and a slow Honoka followed Eli to the living room in various states of half-asleep, opting not to speak so early in the morning. The three of them were met with the sight of an anxious Rin pacing the living room by herself.

"Kotori, Hanayo, Honoka, stay here. I need to talk to Rin." Eli said, holding an arm between herself and the three bedheads and walking over to Rin. Eli put her hand on Rin's shoulder and led her back into the kitchen.

"Come with me, Rin."

Rin looked at Eli inquisitively, her worry subsiding to question what Eli was doing.

"You're worried, aren't you, Rin?"

Rin looked to the side awkwardly, unsure whether to answer yes or no, even though the answer was blindingly obvious to both of them.

"That's a yes, isn't it, Rin."

Rin nodded silently.

"Rin, listen. You mentioned that you were worried about the live preparations, so here's what we're going to do. I'm putting you in charge of final preparations for the live. I'll be heading to the hospital myself to check up on Umi and Nozomi. Nico and Maki are also there, so I'm entrusting this to you, along with Kotori, Hanayo and Honoka. Do you understand?" Eli assured, looking into Rin's eyes.

Rin kept her gaze firmly to the side, afraid to face Eli, afraid of disappointing her, and disappointing µ's, and everyone else who was counting on them in the world by proxy. "Eli...I don't know...it's been so long since I've put in charge of something so big. I don't think I can handle this..."

"Rin, listen to me. You're no stranger to leadership. You've been through this before. Do you remember when you were in charge of µ's during your performance of Love wing bell, and how beautiful you looked in that dress?"

"I know, Eli, but...that was a long time ago. Maybe I'm not like that anymore."

Eli returned Rin's initial inquisitive glance. "You've lost your confidence?"

"Umm...well..."

"Rin, are you sure? I remember what you said last week, about your graduation. I know you haven't lost that, Rin. You are everything you used to be, and more, Rin. Okay?"

Rin took a deep breath in, then another, and the worry disappeared from her eyes, assuring Eli with a mild smile, characteristic of her resting facial expression; she was still nervous, but she didn't want to let everyone down.

"Okay."

"Come on, Rin."

Eli put her hand on Rin's shoulder again, and ushered her back to the living room, where Kotori, Honoka and Hanayo were relaxed on the sofa closest to the television, chatting away on subjects unknown.

"I have something to tell you all." Eli said, silence falling over the room as everyone turned their heads to face Eli. "Umi's father was in an accident, and he is now in the hospital. Umi is there with him, as are Nozomi, Maki and Nico."

Honoka and Kotori's eyes opened fully, the gravity of the situation starting to sink in. "I-" Honoka started.

"However, we still need someone to set up the live as soon as possible, before we all begin. So, I will entrust it to the three of you, and Rin. I will be visiting to check up on Umi and Nozomi, but I trust that the four of you can handle this."

"I'm coming with you." Kotori said, standing up. She was trying her best to look grave, and given the context, she'd succeeded; all eyes were on her now.

"Kotori...are you absolutely sure?" Eli replied.

Kotori sheepishly held her closed hands to her heart, and looked Eli in the eyes: "I'm sorry, Eli, but...I'm so worried. No matter what you say, I have to go, Eli...I have to see Umi and make sure she's okay, as well as her father."

Eli discretely inspected Rin out of the corner of her eye, wondering how this would affect her, looking for a hint of worry or fear. To her silent delight, Rin's expression did not change; she could handle this.

"Fine…If you wish, Kotori. But first, Honoka, Hanayo, can I speak to the two of you in the kitchen as well?"

Eli turned around and headed to the kitchen, and Hanayo and Honoka weren't far behind, sharing a curious glance between each other.

"Eli? What is this about?" Honoka asked as Eli stopped in the kitchen and turned around to address the two of them.

"Well...it's nothing much, really." Eli said. "It's just that this is the end, so I thought I'd make sure things went smoothly."

"Wow...you never stopped being the mother of the group, ehehe." Honoka commented. Eli smiled sweetly, confirming Honoka's sentiment.

"I just wanted to ask you two to make sure Rin's okay while we're gone, too. I know there are people in worse situations, but Rin seems very worried and on edge right now..."

"She's as confident as she's always been." Hanayo replied. "I just know that sometimes, she needs some support from time to time to stop her from going off the rails too much. I support her, and she supports me...it's wonderful, in a way. Don't worry, Eli. We'll be there for her."

"Thank you, Hanayo. You too, Honoka. I know your methods are unconventional, but I know you can take care of Rin."

"Unconventional...?"

Eli and Hanayo looked at each other, holding back laughter.

"Come on, Honoka. You know what I mean." Eli said.

"Ehe...I guess." Hanayo rubbed Honoka's shoulder reassuringly, reminding her that it wasn't a joke at her expense. "Don't sweat it, Honoka. I know how Rin works, and I'm sure you do too now. She just needs a little reassurance." Hanayo said.

"That's all I needed to know." Eli said. "Come on, let's get back and make sure Rin hasn't set the house on fire."

* * *

 **The Stormy Ocean**

Sunday morning.

"It's...been a while, hasn't it?" Maki murmured.

"Yeah." Nozomi replied. "Umi did say her father requested for her, though. It's our duty to make sure she's okay, too."

Nico slept peacefully on Nozomi's shoulder, having fallen asleep an hour ago; Umi had gone in to see her father at around 6am, and hadn't come out since. Maki felt numb from anxiety, and running on fumes, Nozomi put her all into staying strong for everyone - If Umi fell apart, they would all fall apart, and so would everyone counting on them today.

"How long has it been?" Maki asked.

Nozomi took out her phone.

"I'm not sure. I think we've been here...two, two and a half hours? I don't know..."

"Huh...okay.

Maki felt herself dozing off, and hated herself for it; she shouldn't be sleeping at a time like this, not when someone she'd entered a relationship with only the night before was in serious trouble, not when there were people counting on them all, and most definitely not in the middle of a hospital lobby. Lazily, she looked over to Nozomi, sitting across from her, back straight and stiff, her hands awkwardly placed in her lap, her neutral eyes shifting around the lobby, blinking periodically, her hair tied back in a solemn bun.

"Maki."

Nozomi looked to her right; the door opened, and Umi passed through. Maki snapped her head in Umi's direction, instinct telling her who it was, and Nozomi shook Nico gently, who opened her eyes slowly and rubbed them briefly before opening them wide and focusing them on Umi.

Umi seemed...it wasn't actually easy to determine her state at current. Her eyes were clouded over, staring straight ahead in their direction as she took slow but steady steps forward.

"Umi..."

"Kotori." Eli raised her arm in front of Kotori, halting their stride.

On the other side of the lobby, Kotori and Eli watched Umi's nervous steps towards Nozomi, Nico and Maki, waiting patiently by the entrance doors as the duo at the far end of the lobby watched Umi with equal mix of patience and nervousness, Eli clutching a small bunch of cut yellow calla lilies for Umi.

Umi stopped between Maki and Nozomi, hovering above her seat and stood in place, looking straight down. It still wasn't clear as to how she felt; she didn't shed tears, but it didn't look unbelievable that she would cry, just as she equally looked like she was going to be sick, despite the lack of heavy breathing, or that she would collapse, despite the steady yet slow style of her footsteps from the door. She started to take deep breaths in, eliminating none of the three possibilities. They weren't sure if they were seeing things, but her legs seemed slightly shaky.

"Umi, Umi, Umi, Umi...!" Maki leapt to her feet and helped Umi sit down beside her, keeping one arm around Umi's furthest arm and her waist for any possible comfort, her blood running ice cold, her mind jumping to the worst possible conclusion, one that nobody wanted to suggest until Umi said something - which didn't seem likely right now. Nozomi's poker face started to crack, but didn't break, her gaze darting awkwardly between Umi and the floor. Nico looked on in sorrow, holding her tongue for fear of making things worse. Eli, Kotori and Honoka looked on in horror, assuming the worst had happened and keeping their distance as they shuffled over to the wall beside the door.

Maki stroked Umi's hair gently, praying she was doing the right thing; she felt like any other adult in her place would know what to do, that she lacked the basic instinct that anyone else would have to correct Umi properly. Nico looked on, envious that Maki instinctively knew what to do; she wished she had the basic instinct to know what to do in a time of crisis, and Nozomi simply...observed.

Umi stared into space, through the empty chair ahead of her, continuing to breathe deeply.

Umi finally spoke, clearly and slowly. "They said..."

"...They said he might not walk again. They won't be sure until he spends more time in hospital, but he'll never be able to do anything like martial arts...ever again."

The tension that appeared when she came back remained, though a silent wave of relief passed through Nozomi, Maki and Nico, knowing he was still alive, and hopefully well. Maki rubbed Umi's back, and hugged Umi, resting the side of her head on Umi's shoulders and putting her arms around Umi's waist.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Umi."

"I'm sorry, too, Umi. At least he's okay." Nico added.

"I am too, Umi. I hope things get better." Nozomi said.

"...Thank you."

Eli and Kotori quietly made their entrance, and silently sat down next to Nozomi and Maki respectively. setting down their purses. Eli kept the calla lilies in her hand.

"If there's anything we can do for you, Umi, just ask. We're here for you." Eli offered.

Kotori got out of her seat, and without a word, offered Umi the most comforting hug she could. Everyone saw the looks on both their faces; they needed this.

Kotori sat down, still silent, unsure of what came next. She paused to gather her thoughts, and spoke.

"Umi..." Kotori said, hoping to the gods that she wouldn't ruin the mood by messing up what she was about to say. She didn't use her serious face or her serious voice very often.

"You don't have to perform if you don't want to. We understand. It's okay, Umi...It's okay."

Umi processed this in silence.

"...No."

"...No?"

A firm, deep breath.

"My father told me that no matter what happened, that even if he should...um...you know...he wanted to see his daughter perform one last time. I may have inherited the dojo, but the show must go on." The dead, distant look in Umi's face faded, giving way to resolve. "I spent my life being taught by my father to never give up, and I'm not letting him down."

Umi looked at Kotori. "And I spent my entire life being taught that same thing by you and Honoka, and half of my life by the rest of you. I won't let you down either."

"Oh! Um...thank you, Umi." Kotori replied, unsure how to react to both the mood whiplash and a woman with burning resolve.

"That's my Umi." Maki said, bringing Umi in by the waist for a spirited kiss on the cheek, twice. Umi couldn't help but giggle at the end of the emotional rollercoaster, sighing peacefully. She performed a quick mental headcount, and counted...six.

"Where's Honoka, Rin and Hanayo?" She asked. Nico and Nozomi looked to the pair that had recently arrived for information, and eventually everyone's gaze fixed on Eli and Kotori by default. Kotori looked to Eli, leaving her the last one.

"Well..."

"I left them to handle the live right now. I didn't know what was happening and I didn't know if the live was still on or not, so I left them to it. They had a slow start to the morning, so I didn't want to force them out of their element...I'm sorry."

"Why are you saying sorry, Eli?" Nico chimed in, yawning. "You did the right thing. You prepared for both events."

"Sigh...I suppose."

"So, where do we go from here?" Maki asked.

"Hospital staff won't allow me back in there until they assess my father's condition." Umi sighed, slowly standing up. "They said they don't know how long that will take, so they told me to come back tomorrow. Come on...let's see if Honoka, Hanayo and Rin are doing fine."

"Are you sure, Umi?" Maki said, following Umi's lead. "You still seem nervous."

"I'm...as fine as I can be, Maki. Don't worry about me."

Maki hugged Umi again and rested her head on Umi's shoulder. "That's good enough for me. Come on, let's go."

Eli and Kotori collected their purses and stood, while Nozomi and Nico instead took the time to stretch and restore circulation in their bodies, yawning profusely.

"Are you okay, Nozomi? Nico?" Eli asked.

"I'm fine, Elicchi. We're just a little numb from sitting here for hours." Nozomi replied, stretching her arms and legs out parallel to the ground.

* * *

 **Maki's House**

~30mins later.

"Hmmm...how about...an Indian restaurant?"

"Ahh...I don't like spicy food very much. Sorry, Hanayo."

"Oh! I know! What about the new Gourmet Burger Kitchen that just opened in Shinjuku?!"

"That's a great idea, Rin! Honoka, add it to the list!"

Honoka uncapped the ballpoint pen again, leaned to her side and scribbled "GBK" on the paper on the kitchen counter, never ceasing to kick her legs in the air, carefree as Rin and Hanayo did the same next to her, passing a mixed bag of party snacks between them, three bottles of ramune between them. Rin took another handful as she watched Honoka write.

"Sometimes, it's the simpler things that are the best." Hanayo commented. "So, are we on for Gourmet Burger Kitchen sometime after this is over?"

"Definitely!" Honoka replied.

The three of them turned their heads at the sound of the door opening, and distant voices echoing through the corridors; the other six were back.

Rin, Hanayo and Honoka glanced at each other, nervous of what could have become of Umi or her father. They'd finished a while ago, but the sight of them sitting on the counter might have seemed disrespectful, and so Honoka sprang off the counter and to the ground, and hurriedly grabbed the nearby dustpan and brush and started sweeping crumbs, while Hanayo folded the bag of party snacks and put it in the cupboard and Rin moved the ramune bottles to the table and cleaned the counter with a kitchen towel.

Taking off their shoes on the genkan and setting down their bags on the corner of the stairs, Nozomi, Eli, Kotori, Maki, Nico and Umi walked into the living room to see Honoka, Hanayo and Rin standing side by side, awaiting their arrival. They looked at the six of them as a group, but really, they focused on Umi; she didn't seem too distraught, nor were there signs of sadness on anyone else's face.

"Attention, everyone!" Honoka announced, having finished scanning everyone's expressions and determined that they could get down to business.

"Preparations are almost complete for the show!" Rin continued. "Everything has been loaded into the shuttle, and we...made a few phone calls."

Honoka snickered at some unknown in-joke, and Hanayo smiled. "Anyway, we've done everything we can here, and we've been waiting for you all to come home. Umi, are you okay?"

"Yes, I am." Umi said, nodding once firmly.

* * *

 **µ's Music Start!**

It's the end.

"Unique New York, Unique New York, Unique New York..."

"Rin, that's an English tongue twister...I don't think that will help you much."

"I'm nervous, I'm nervous, I'm nervous, Hanayo! I'd rather stay active than waste time standing around backstage! I don't want to sit here doing nothing!"

"Yeah, Hanayo! And plus, there is some English in our songs! Unique New York, Unique New York..."

Hanayo watched the both of them practice a tongue twister in a language most of their songs weren't even in, anxiously pacing the length of the dressing room impatiently. Rin's repetition started to fail as her breathing became louder as they overtook her words and faltered, and Rin started to look around the room, walking in random directions in a circle around her.

"Rin, Honoka, please. You were restless the entire journey here, and we can't have nervous performers on stage, can we? You might break down crying during the show if you don't calm down."

" _I don't want to calm down, Hanayo!_ I'm about to start a show and I won't be calm then!"

"Rin, are you okay? You seemed sick on the shuttle here, and you seemed like you were shivering..."

"Hanayo, please, please, please! I, I need to be ready for this! I...I..."

Hanayo put her arms on Rin and Honoka's shoulders, and eased them into standing in place, looking them both in the eyes, examining them.

"Breathe."

Rin's eyes still seemed restless to her, like they were ready to run at any moment. Honoka simply seemed restless, easy to destabilisation, but just as responsive to stabilisation.

" _Breathe_. Breathe with rhythm. This will be over soon."

Hanayo looked at Rin. "Rin, would you like some water?"

Rin nodded, rising and falling with her breath, and Hanayo ushered the both of them to the quieter side of the room, taking two unopened bottles of water by the counter and handing them to Honoka and Rin. Honoka seemed fine as she concentrated on her bottle as she drank, though only small change was observed in Rin, who was still staring wildly into space through her. Maki noticed the three of them, and ducked out of her conversation with Nozomi and Umi to comfort Rin, recognising the situation. She'd been through it before.

"Rin." Maki said. "Hey, Rin."

"Careful, Maki." Hanayo whispered.

Rin stopped drinking for a moment, and her eyes flickered towards Maki. Her breathing was quieter, but still audible. Honoka faded out of the conversation to adjust her hair in the mirror, at ease.

"I was thinking maybe we could all go out for food after this is over." Maki said, her voice soft and kind. Hanayo leaned forward and whispered as quietly as she could, essentially mouthing, the words "Gourmet Burger Kitchen." Maki's eyes moved to Hanayo, and back.

"How about we go to Gourmet Burger Kitchen later today? I'm in the mood for a katsu burger. You have anything in mind, Rin?"

"Um..."

"...We could eat at more than one place. There's that ramen place you love, isn't there?"

Rin nodded again.

"Their summer menus are to die for, too." Hanayo interjected. "Oh, Rin! We can have some hiyashi chuka! It's so hot today..."

Maki nodded, dividing her attention between Rin and Hanayo. "Actually, do you want to go there first? That sounds really nice."

"That does sound nice..." Rin replied.

"See, Rin?" Hanayo assured. "No matter what happens, you have something to look forward to. We have plenty of time to go."

"Yeah…"

"Maybe we can get some ramune on the way back!"

Rin smiled and nodded once more, her breathing inaudible again. She sighed and looked at Hanayo.

"I just wish I was as confident as I used to be..."

"Don't worry, Rin. We'll always have your back."

"Thank you, Kayochin. And thank you too, Maki."

And with that, Rin set down her bottle and headed over to Eli to relax.

"She can be a handful sometimes, can't she?" Maki commented, looking towards Hanayo and leaning against the counter, her back to the mirror.

"Oh, of course. She still has a sense of childlike wonder about her that's never gone away. Sometimes, I forget that she isn't one of my schoolchildren...but even though she looks immature, she can be a strong woman when she wants to be. She forgets her own potential sometimes..."

"Oh, I know, Hanayo. She's always been very comfortable around me for some reason, so I always get the true Rin. It's almost her ambition as much as Honoka's that got us this far. She's definitely brightened up my morning at least once. Some things never change, huh..."

"Ehehe, yeah...I'm glad we've all warmed up to each other like this. I didn't think a week would be enough..."

"I usually find it difficult to warm up to someone. I tend to keep to myself a lot...but, the feeling of being with people you know genuinely care about you is the best, and I feel bad that we ever let it slip away from us."

Hanayo sighed. "I'm just glad to have that feeling back, if only for a week."

Her hands firmly fixed on her hair, Kotori sidestepped over to Honoka slowly, her gaze fixed on her reflection.

"You've been quiet, Honoka. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Um...yeah."

"Sure?"

"Kotori...You know nobody can resist your charm..."

"Honoka, come on..."

"Fiiiine...I don't know, I just, I...don't want this to end, Kotori...It feels right to be here again, like it was only last week I was here."

"Afraid of it all ending?" Nico interjected, taking her place by Honoka's other flank, adjusting a bow in her hair.

"Hmm..." Honoka replied sadly, not wanting to say yes, but knowing that saying no would be lying.

"I'm a million miles from where I live, but it still feels like home here..." Kotori mused. "I'm glad it happened, at least."

"I've been there before." Nico said, fixing the part of Honoka's hair she noticed Honoka was having trouble with. "But I just remember what Eli told me...you can't keep thinking about the end of things. Everything comes to an end. But the best thing about making memories is living in the moment at the point you make that memory, otherwise you'll let it pass you by without experiencing you."

Kotori and Honoka stared at Nico, curious.

"...What?" Nico said. "Aren't I allowed to have insightful, mature views on life?"

A sense of calm permeated the room, the very eye of the storm, the nine of them full well knowing the whirlwind that would follow this gap in time. In one corner of the room, Umi and Nozomi bathed in this calm on either side of the corner sofa, Nozomi's arms stretched out across her length of the sofa, Umi following her lead, breaking posture one last time on Nozomi's suggestion, staring up at the ceiling in contemplation.

"It's almost spiritual, isn't it?" Nozomi said, her gaze fixed also to the ceiling.

Umi murmured in agreement, her thoughts straying, moving away from the live and towards recent events. She fell mute, and her eyes glazed over, her presence sinking deep into her own mind. Nozomi glanced over at Umi, caught off guard by such an uncharacteristic response. She knew what Umi was thinking.

"Umi." Nozomi said, a hint of a kind whisper to her tone. Umi blinked, but didn't look over.

"Umi." She said again.

"...Hm?"

"Come on now, Umi. Those thoughts will only hurt you. The best way to do him good is to make him proud."

"Yeah..."

"Aww, Umi...do I have to bring Honoka over here?"

Umi didn't respond; her attention was broken by a figure in the corner of her vision. She tensed up on instinct, her senses turning back on, and she looked over; it was a tense-looking Rin standing by Eli's side. Eli stood with a smile, looking at both Umi and Nozomi to ensure she had their attention.

"Rin's having a hard time with preparations. Would it be okay if Rin and I sat with you for a while?"

"Sure!" Nozomi replied. Umi looked between at Nozomi, Rin and Eli with a welcoming gaze, relaxing her posture again to accommodate the new duo as Eli and Rin sat next to Nozomi and Umi respectively, in between the two. Rin remained tense, if not calmer than she was minutes ago, in stark contrast to the carefree posture of Eli, sitting back with her legs crossed, beaming at the other three. She moved closer to Rin and rested her head on Rin's shoulder reassuringly.

In turn, Nozomi rested herself against Eli. Feeling pressured, Umi did the same and moved closer to Rin, relaxing once she felt comfortable.

"Ready, girls?" Nozomi said, her light tone hoping for a change in mood.

She got an "Mhm!" from Eli, but no real response from Rin or Umi, who both stared at the ground nervously.

"Aw, Rin, Umi..." Eli said. "Come on, this is it!" She shook Rin's shoulder gently and looked at Umi with hope in her eyes. "Remember the rush we felt performing? Umi, I never tired of the smile on your face that appeared when you let yourself go and lost yourself in the moment. And Rin, I'll always remember how you were energetic even after the performance, when the rest of us wanted to sit down."

Umi's straight face cracked for a moment, and returned for another before giving way to an involuntary smile - she knew what Eli was talking about. Rin remained troubled, but she raised her head and took a breath.

"Thanks, Eli." Rin said. "I feel a lot better now...I think I'll feel better when we perform."

"Hey, what's going on over here?"

Maki sauntered over, curious. She turned her attention towards Rin and Umi, hoping for improvement.  
"There's a smile." She said, caressing Umi's lips.

Maki sat down in the small gap between Umi and Nozomi, sidling up to Umi.

Maki's warmth felt unfamiliar to Umi, but...it felt comforting, after the initial unfamiliarity shock. She felt it in her blood, in her heart, in herself. It felt wonderful.

"What's happening?" Honoka asked, her voice approached the growing congregation in the corner, leaving only Nico and Kotori by the mirror as Hanayo followed Honoka silently.

"One last pre-show ritual." Eli said.

"Care to join us?" Nozomi asked, patting the seat on the sofa besides us.

The door opened slightly, and an unfamiliar man's head popped out from behind the door.

"You're on in five minutes! Last chance to get ready!"

And with that, his head disappeared, and the door closed. Tension returned to the room as nervousness washed over the nine of them, and Rin's breathing grew laboured again. Honoka was the first to notice; acting on instinct, she bounded forward, crouched down and hugged Rin with everything she had, burying her head into Rin's shoulder.

"Please don't panic, Rin...everything's going to be okay. This is still our time."

Rin didn't say anything, but rested her head on Honoka's shoulder in return, letting her breath and heartbeat follow Honoka's. The tension in the room turned to anticipation as five of nine of µ's looked on in intrigued silence, Nico and Kotori chattering away softly on the other side of the room before heading over.

The final two headed over quietly, noticing the moment.

In Honoka's heartbeat, colour and warmth returned to Rin's face, and stability returned to her breath once more.

Honoka slowly let go after five seconds, keeping her hands on Rin's shoulders and looking directly at Rin, an electric sparkle in Honoka's eyes.

"Are you ready, Rin?" She said.

Rin nodded.

Honoka pulled back and opened her arms wide, beckoning Maki, Hanayo, Kotori and Nico to come over and form a circle.

Nico, Hanayo and Kotori knelt down. Honoka put her arm around Maki's shoulders, Hanayo put her right arm over Honoka's shoulders, Kotori joined Hanayo and Nico, and Kotori and Eli put their arms around each other's shoulders, completing the circle.

µ's, together pre-show ritual in a circle, heads down, one last time. Nobody said anything for ten seconds; all of them looked down, still, knowing this truly was the last time.

Maki remembered the last time they'd done this; at the end of their performance at the Tokyo Dome for the third Love Live. There were no words shared then, and they needed no words now. She'd grown so much since then.

Umi steeled herself and drew strength: from Maki's warmth, from her father's request, from her mother's wishes, from the well of strength µ's provided, for herself.

Rin focused on her breathing. She remembered Honoka's heartbeat, and what stability was. She remembered how confident she once was, and how wonderful it would be to have that again. The people who had given her that confidence in the first place were with her now, when it mattered the most.

Nozomi unbound herself from the confines of her perception and let herself experience the moment, and every thought in the space between them.

Eli focused on her breathing, and simply prepared herself; nothing more, nothing less, always what she had done, and what she wished she could do beyond this moment.

Kotori's mind was blank, clear for the show ahead. No distractions, no interruptions, a pure flow of thoughts focused on only the show ahead. It felt nice to be back...

Nico thought about how right this all felt. She'd left depression behind, if only for a week, and she wasn't going back to the way things were before. This was it; this was a feeling she wanted to hold onto forever.

Hanayo wondered how time had gone by so quickly, and how they'd already gotten to here. It would be over soon, but...it wasn't the time for such thoughts, and so she refocused her thoughts to how her life had been unimaginably changed by these eight, and how her life would have turned out without Honoka or Rin.

Finally, Honoka.

None of Honoka's thoughts stood out to her; it was a fuzzy static of every doubt and every hope that burdened her, the project she'd started 13 years ago still in motion. She was bound to these people in some way or another, and she was the destiny that had brought them together.

This was it. This silence lasted forever, this moment, the beginning, the end, the immortal.

They were afraid to say it, because they knew it wasn't the start; it was the end. Even if it granted them to strength to perform, they all knew it would be the last.

Honoka and Eli broke the stalemate, and in perfect union, they took an arm off their partner to put two fingers out into the centre of the nine of them.

"µ's..."

Hanayo and Nozomi put two fingers into the centre next, joining theirs with Honoka and Eli.

"Music..."

The other five put two fingers in, and with a sense of finality, the circle was finished, and all nine ended their ritual in harmony.

"Start."


	9. Journey's End

**Notes:**

A cyalume is the same thing as a kingblade!

Just a quick warning to those who suffer anxiety or panic disorder, a panic attack is described here. Just a word of warning, no matter how accurately or inaccurately I described it.

In Japanese flower language ("Hanakotoba") Red spider lilies mean "abandonment, death, never to meet again", blue hydrangeas mean "frigidity, heartlessness, cold", lilies of the valley mean "sweetness/promise of happiness", chamomile means "patience and endurance in the face of hardship", iris means "good news, loyalty, noble heart".

Sorry this took so long - I kinda lost my spark for a while. But that being said...you know how I said "Chapter 8" would take ages? Chapter 8 (the actual one) + this (Chapter 9) was "Chapter 8", and BOY was it a monster to write (esp the..."lyrics"? I really don't know what the line is to even translated lyrics in fics, even if they make sense in context, so I just wrote my own for some of it). This was so...so...SO exhausting to write, hence why I think the first part of this is the weakest imo, and why it took over a month, so I had to cut a lot to make sure I didn't keep everyone waiting and I've just been SO tired, so sorry if it seems like there's a little less...I just felt like I'd be damaging myself if I tried to write any more ;; one part in particular I think I wrote TOO much for (I wrote this chapter non-sequentially) and it burnt me out so badly that I kinda had to take it easy for the rest of this chapter (it's in the first scene, I hope you recognise which part because it killed me)

Either way, even if I had trouble writing this chapter, I remember how much fun I had writing this in the summer, even if those feelings I had in the summer that drove this fic have since faded away. It's a wonderful feeling that I want to feel again. Even if those feelings might have changed over the course of several months, I put of a lot of myself into this. I had fun, I cried, I put myself through lots of emotional pain doing research for this, I cried again because I still can't handle Bokutachi wa Hitotsu no Hikari, I enjoyed my summer in my own way, I did so much research on Japan that I kinda wanna go to Minato Mirai now, I had doubts over whether I was too late to continue writing...I never expected that I'd EVER end up writing something novel-length to work through my own emotional issues, and I have plenty of my own regrets about the way I've written this story, and what I've written (I think the live was a bad idea tbh), but...I don't regret a thing! I've learned so much, and I'm glad people enjoyed it. A BIG thank you to those who followed it all the way, to those who commented and reviewed, and even those reading now. I doubt I'll find myself with both the time and inspiration to write another fic for a loooong time, so don't count on anything, but...it was fun! I'm kind of at a loss now. Writing more would be very exhausting, but I've built so much out of this fic, and there's so much unsaid about everyone, and so much I want to say and talk about, but...Until next time! (Which will probably be when I fix the errors I probably missed in this chapter hhh...)

(also, tell me if you find any errors! I wouldn't want the last chapter to ruin anything...I mean if worst comes to worst, pulling this chapter and reworking/splitting it is always an option)

* * *

 **The Starry Sky**

 **-Introduction-**

Unable to do anything else amongst the restless crowd, you look around for a sense of scale of the arena you stand in, and you see darkness, punctuated by an ever-present, undulating ocean of colours that climb the far walls at every edge of your vision, kingblades from others with the fortune and drive to have been selected in the lottery to attend. Purple, light blue, dark blue, orange, yellow, red, grey, pink and green wave and dance and flicker as freely amongst the crowd as birds of a feather as diffuse blue light shoots from the heavy spotlights above the stage at standing guard above the stage in the dark, around ten metres in front of you, and the ceiling is painted a dim blue, the darkness hiding a sense of anticipation. An encompassing roar from the unsynchronised calls, cheers and conversations in the crowd form on every tier; a forward wall of noise focused in the direction of the stage vying for the attention of performers who have yet to arrive as the cameras lie in wait for them from every angle like apex predators hiding from plain sight, waiting for their moment; the moment of the live, the thrill of the show as small screens to the side of the stage show a medley of old music videos, from START:DASH! to Music S.T.A.R.T! to Happy Maker! to SUNNY DAY SONG, memories of a simpler time playing over and over as an overview of µ's limited time as an idol group. Compared to the Tokyo Dome, the Tokyo Dome City Hall was more intimate and smaller, but warm - at least you've heard from the veteran idol followers attending.

"Oh, I think something's happening!" the fan next to you says as she leans in to make sure you're able to hear her, barely able to contain her anticipation. You can see her expression from the corner of your eye; she's smiling excitedly and waving her kingblade.

The faint lights started to darken, lowering slightly as white light gave way to pitch black, aligning with each other, and the crowd cheered only louder, waved kingblades more frantically still, knowing what came next. A white µ's logo appears on the large screen at the back of the stage against a black, engrossing background.

"µ's."

Comes Honoka's voice over the sound system, her soft, warm yet informative tone reverberating throughout the arena; you can tell just by her tone that she's grown so much since her time as a school idol. The crowd's roar dims to a murmur, then disperses to give way to rapt silence as some kingblades slow to a halt and others are lowered, paying close attention as blue dotted star projections ghost across the ceiling, looking exactly like the starry sky you'd see in a planetarium. Kotori's, older more matured, almost whisper-like voice comes next, as the video of Umi, Honoka and Kotori's first performance of Start:DASH! plays onscreen; the footage looks dated, especially on such a large screen. Audio from the video plays faintly, taking backseat to their voices, and everyone's kingblades turn grey; you change yours too, holding it up high.

 _"In the beginning, 13 years ago in 2011, there were only three of us in µ's. We were unsure of where we were going, but we knew we wanted to be school idols, to save our school from shutting down. Nobody came to our first performance, but we kept going. We couldn't give up."_

The video fades into the PV for Someday of our Life, and Umi's calm, breezy yet strong voice speaks after Kotori, the experience in her voice speaking volumes. She sounds as mature as ever. The kingblades in the arena turn dark blue, lowering the light levels slightly.

 _"Four more members joined µ's, and we became seven. And so, we released another music video. µ's was still young, but we were popular within our school, and we gained increasing attention."_

The video on the screens fades again, to the nine-member video for START:DASH!. It's still essentially amateur footage at this stage, giving the video another layer of charm as Eli's similarly experienced voice and light blue kingblades follow Umi, belying the optimism that had never left her over the years. She still has warmth in her voice, like it could be the teenage Eli speaking.

 _"Two more joined, and so µ's was born as the nine of us. After several more performances, we saved our school, and reached number 19 in the school idol rankings. µ's was climbing upwards, with nothing to stop our dreams."_

The PV advances to Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE, and Nico's voice comes next; of everyone that had spoken so far, hers expressed the most growth, the most development, the childish note present in her teenage self gone. You hear some people comment that she sounds much more adult than she used to sound, and the crowd lights up pink like cherry blossoms in March.

 _"µ's reached even greater heights, even though we withdrew from the first Love Live. We became stronger, and we knew we had to push on, as three of the group would graduate at the end of the year, and so, we set out to compete in the second Love Live!"_

Segue to the PV for Yume no Tobira, the footage looking much more professional than any video before; Hanayo speaks next, her soothing tone ever-present, drawing total silence from the crowd as they listened to every softly spoken word under the projection of a starry sky, switching out pink for green.

 _"It was difficult; there were two stages of qualifiers for the second Love Live, and we had some tough competition. We struggled under the pressure, but we overcame those problems together. We knew we had to win the second Love Live."_

The dark blue lustre of Yume no Tobira gives way to the dreamy light blue and white of Snow halation, throwing bright white light further into the crowd, and Rin's voice bursts from the speakers, the spark from her youth still present, if not a little bit lower and minus her old speech quirk, a voice without a face somehow still expressing a smile; you feel energised hearing her speak, seeing the bright yellow of your kingblade amongst a sea of electric yellow. You hear a shrill voice in the crowd scream Rin's name.

 _"We made it to the second Love Live even though it was difficult, and we almost didn't make it...everybody was supporting us, and we knew we had to put on an amazing show!"_

Snow halation's winter blue becomes Bokura wa Ima no Naka de's warm, familiar red, white and purple, bathing the crowd in warmer colours, and an entirely new Maki speaks, one who sounds like she has blossomed since the teenage years depicted in the video, her tone almost reminiscent as you and the crowd flare up red; she sounds like someone who grew up to become a well-adjusted, kind adult.

 _"We won the second Love Live, and we were overjoyed. Three members graduated the school we'd helped save, but we decided to disband."_

Red, white and purple are joined by every other colour in the spectrum, the screens depicting vivid city scenes of night-time New York City, from the Angelic Angel video. Nozomi's voice comes last, her motherly tone conveying a sense of finality as the chronicle reaches late into µ's history, the crowd settling on royal purple. Her voice is a calming presence, and the crowd hushes once more to listen.

 _"Before we disbanded, we were sent to New York to promote Love Live. It was a success, and we disbanded as the school year ended, with no regrets."_

Finally, the screens show the PV for Bokutachi wa Hitotsu no Hikari, and Honoka's voice returns.

 _"We performed one last time at the Third Love Live we helped create, before we ended activities for good, and we achieved our dream together. And now, one last time, we can spend today together with all of you!"_

The stage opens up and a platform rises, shapes in the dark resting upon it. All nine of them can be heard, the chorus' tone marginally lower than what they used to sound like:

"We are µ's!"

 **-Yume no Tobira-**

You focus your vision towards the stage to make out the shapes rising from the ground. In the dark, nine figures can be seen rising, a trio standing back-to-back surrounded by six figures. The starry sky on the ceiling dims as the white lights above the stage turn back on and faint blue lights warm up on the bottom edge of the stage, faintly outlining the figures and showing their outfits: blue ballet shoes, white thigh-high socks, flower crowns in their hair, and layers of translucent blue and purple frilly features over opaque armless white dresses and blue dresses.

Then, something almost magical happens; the blue and purple translucent frills of the dress light up like fireflies against a dark sky backdrop, like blue chochin lanterns on Obon, like twinkling blue stars across the bodies of µ's as they stand static, their faces illuminated by the light given off by their outfits; they're smiling, their eyes belying an unimaginable reserve of energy. You can hear scattered gasps and loud screams and cheers as they illuminate the dark backdrop, kingblades waving twice as fast; the woman next to you softly squeals. You see Honoka hold her arm in the air in the centre as she rises, their outfits glowing as brilliantly as any of the kingblades in the audience; the audience lights up their kingblades blue, knowing what's coming, and without you even paying attention to the quick colour switch you make, your kingblade is blue. The lights below and above the stage dim, and it begins...

The first chimes and the calm twinkling sound of the piano intro to Yume no Tobira starts, their outfits twinkling like nebulae in the night sky, forming nine constellations against the starry sky backdrop that lit up on the walls around the stage once again, stage lights burning orange now as you hear those familiar words...

 _"Yume no tobira..."_

Honoka's dress lights up bright orange in the midst as she raises her arm to the heavens slowly before lowering it. The trio of Eli, Umi and Honoka rotates as the other six leads a circle of each other around the three like some unseen maypole dance, and Umi and Eli each take centre stage, raising their arms once again...

Then it begins, all at once: a cymbal crash, an upbeat guitar-driven intro, and the lower lights burn blue, bright, brighter still, while the upper lights flash like cannons of light heralding the start of the show, the large screen behind the arena showing a close-up of the nine, now in clear view, phosphorescent blue outfits turning to starlight white! The crowd screams, and everything is blue, waving, _roaring_ , alive, like a neon ocean, and you are but a single, but important, drop. You adjust your eyes to the sudden change in light, feeling almost dizzy at how quickly things are moving along, and before you know it, kingblades are in the air, beacons pointing up to heaven. They move into formation as their arms move like clockwork, and they're together once more as Nico, Umi, Maki, Honoka and Kotori twirl towards the back row of idols - You look at their faces; genuine _happiness_ , and the same intangible wave of emotion the crowd felt, nearly as bright as their outfits, their expressions never more alive, the spark of the moment, a fire brighter than any sun...

 _"Yes!"_ The song calms as the piano and guitar flow, letting them shine - the fire in their eyes doesn't disappear as the lights on the stage settle to a warm blue, as sure as the legacy left by their finished dream never truly disappeared - the screens behind them show close-up views of the live, and you see Nozomi's smiling face, flanked by Umi and Honoka, spotlights sweeping across the stage...

 _"Yes!"_ They change formation again, waving their arms from one side to the other as they take their new positions, bright blue, white and purple continuing to shine bright against the dark sky backdrop like stars, sorting into their subunits, the shock blue ocean of kingblades continuing to ripple; the camera focuses on Maki now, and Bibi gently settles to their knees as Lily White elegantly circles the stage, the spotlight focused on Printemps...

Their arms reach out towards you gracefully, as if to raise you up onto your feet, the delicate voices of Printemps a brief respite from the whirlwind rush that had taken you all aback; it feels as light as a feather on the breeze in the evening breeze of summer, like taking a breath after surfacing, and all nine of them raise them arms to the air as BiBi are raised back to their feet, moving back into position, their fists raised rhythmically into the air with the others; the gears of µ's move back into place as the music too picks up again, each kingblade counting the rhythm, their hands raising into the air on a high, their outfits heating up to thunderbolt white again:

 _Yume no tobira,_ the door to our dreams once a distant vision

The spotlights flicker blue, bathing everyone in this dream realised, the shadows of µ's flicker between hard and soft, jumping and twirling in the light;

 _Yume no tobira_ , the door to our dreams found long ago forever an open door

The ellipses of spotlights reaching across the venue illuminate the faces of the crowd, briefly blinding you as the stars on the stage burn white, complementing their shades of blue and purple;

 _This memory will last forever..._

The spotlights flash and dazzle once more as the music nears its end in a blaze of glory - complex hand movements and twirls, moving across the stage to form the original circle the song started out with, and the song fades with the same chime heard at the beginning, µ's looking skyward, their hands linked in an unbroken circle.

The lights fade to black and the crowd screams louder, every kingblade becoming a blur. Someone behind you whistles loudly amongst the rising cheers and roars as the stage lights turn on, and you adjust your eyes to the sudden change in brightness. The nine members of µ's stand in a row on stage now, smiling; from left to right: Rin, Maki, Hanayo, Kotori, Honoka, Umi, Eli, Nozomi, Nico - all nine of them are breathing heavily, especially Nozomi, Eli and Maki, their skin glistening in the changing light.

 **=MC 1=**

"Hello, everyone! Good afternoon It's been a while, hasn't it?" Honoka announces, smiling. The other eight of them exchange pleasant glances; Maki and Hanayo look over at Rin several times, and Nozomi and Eli smile at each other as if to say "This is fun, isn't it?", and Honoka and Maki check the other members several times over as the crowd cheers in response to the first question directed at them. The crowd is rainbow now, nine colours distributed randomly across the hall, waving intermittently in anticipation of the next line, Honoka again:

"1, 2, and..."

" _We are µ's!_ " The nine of them say, in perfect sync, as the crowd cheers again. You almost can't take your eyes off the stage; it feels familiar to be seeing the nine of them on stage again, and yet unfamiliar to be seeing them all grown up. Hanayo, Honoka and Nico have long, flowing hair now, Nozomi has a single violet ponytail and Maki wears hers in a loose spiral bun with free strands falling down, but for the rest, their hairstyles are the same as they always were, if not a little longer - years of growth and change can't be hidden.

"Wow, it's been a long time since we came to Tokyo Dome City..." Hanayo says.

"The last time we were here was at the Tokyo Dome. Tokyo Dome City is so beautiful, especially in the spring and the summer!" Honoka adds, looking around the crowd with wonder as the large screen behind them on the stage shows her wonderstruck face, scanning the crowds. For a moment, you can feel her gaze.

"This place is a lot smaller than the Tokyo Dome, but wow...there's so many people...!" Kotori exclaims; the nine of them wave to the crowd, including you, surveying the hall.

"This live will be broadcasted too. Wave to the cameras!" Nozomi comments as the nine of them make their own individual full turns, the crowd cheering in response, members of the crowd waving back to them.

"Is it being streamed?" Honoka asks.

"Right now? It's August the 17th right now, but that won't be the date for people watching online." Nico replies.

The nine of them finish their revolutions and return to their straight-line formation, straightening their dresses.

"I'm Honoka Kousaka!" Honoka says, stepping forward, "And I hope you have fun today!"

The crowd roars, and the sea above your head becomes a fiery orange, waves passing across its surface.

"My name is Umi Sonoda, and I wish you a wonderful concert!"

Umi steps forward, in line with Honoka, and everything becomes dark blue, a colour more suited for the darkness.

"I'm Kotori Minami, and I love you all!"

Kotori steps forward, and white fills in the dark blue crowd, and suddenly the darkness beyond the crowd seems so far away...

"I'm Rin Hoshizora, and I hope you're loving summer!"

The crowd never stops cheering as Rin steps forward, and you barely notice as white almost fades to yellows.

"My name is Hanayo Koizumi, and I'm glad to be here!"

Yellow darkens again to green, and it's much more noticeable to you this time, a rich green.

"I'm Maki Nishikino. Glad to see you again."

Maki steps forward, and green becomes sharp crimson.

"I am Nozomi Tojo, and I hope you all feel the energy in here like I do!"

Nozomi steps forward, and purple seems just as deep as crimson, if not darker.

"I am Nico Yazawa, and I'm going to steal your heart!"

Purple gives way to bright pink, and Nico steps forward.

"My name is Eli Ayase, and we're going to have a wonderful time!"

The crowd cheers again as Eli steps forward, making way for a light blue sea; the nine idols bow, and the crowd cheers one last time.

"It's also nice to be in Tokyo for a change, too, especially after living in Sapporo for so long. It's so lovely in the summer!" Eli says, to which Hanayo nods in agreement. "We've had a very hot summer, haven't we?"

"We've even had the Bon Odori celebrations recently, which is always one of the best parts of the Japanese summer." Umi replies, to a small crowd reaction; "The Minato Mirai Bon Odori was only last night, too. Did any of you go...?"

Umi puts her hand to her forehead and searches for a reaction, to which she receives a mild, pleasant cheer.

"Watermelon, ramune, fireworks, peanuts and yukata...it's my favourite time of the year!" Rin says, agreeing as she looks over to Umi, nodding; Umi and Eli nod in agreement.

"Wait...did you say peanuts, Rin? I don't think that's a universal summer experience." Nozomi interjects. "Maybe it is for you?"

"Ah, I see, I see...I'm from Chiba-ken, which is famous for peanuts." Rin says, almost pondering on something.

"Well, that's still in Tokyo, isn't it? We still celebrate the summer in style." Nico says, posturing. "And doing a live in the Tokyo Dome City Hall is celebrating in style, even if only for a day. Have you enjoyed the summer so far? It gets really hot in August, too."

Nico's question is met with a generic roar of approval and waving of kingblades.

"When was our last performance? Was it the Tokyo Dome...? Wait, no...or was it in New York...?"

"You were right the first time, Honoka." Maki responds. "That would be our performance in the Tokyo Dome."

"But what about now?" Kotori says, looking over curiously.

"Well, for now..." Honoka interrupts as Kotori looks to her other side, over to Honoka, "We have the first song we ever wrote, when there are only three of us. Do you know which one that is?"

The crowd cheers; they know what Honoka refers to.

"Well, then...let's get to it!"

 **-Start:DASH!-**

The lights dim to nothing again, and for another few seconds, there's a feeling of purgatory before the lights fade in.

The first few notes are instantly recognisable; broken chords, leading into a more complex piano intro...and then there's an explosion of light as everything comes to life - the stage lights, even µ's, glowing bright white;

" _Hey, Start: DASH!_ "

You see the performance on the large screen behind them, and the small ones on the sides of the stage too, the stage lights tracing rays of rainbow through the audience, each kingblade moving back and forth in sync with the music;

" _Hey, Start: DASH!_ "

The group disperses, their hands little birds rising into the air; Rin holds her hands to her heart -

They hold their hands to their hearts still as Eli sings, gesturing them outwards like a starburst;

 _Don't give up, that day will definitely come_

Their hands spread outwards now, opening their hearts to you and the crowd;

The stage lights up purple; Nozomi follows Umi's line perfectly and the screen behind her shows a subtle wink that would have otherwise been unnoticeable as she tags in Maki;

Maki, too, opens her arms outwards to you all, a far cry from the prickly persona of old even in the red lightning; she holds a note as she keeps her arms open, the music slows -

The lights fade to a warm green as Hanayo sings, an ever-hopeful expression on her face during her time in the spotlight;

Green warms to pink as Nico carries the same hope in the spotlight, swaying from side to side;

Pink shifts to orange, and the spotlight focuses on Honoka now, and her voice is full of the same energy her body is as it continues to step from side to side, the spotlight hitting her like light from the heavens...

 _"START!"_

The stage lights flash in anticipation, and in front of you is an energetic sight

 _With your blazing heart, you can definitely clear the way to the future_

The feel of the feverish crowd, the sparkling rainbow stage lights that cut paths through the crowd -

The rising heat, the passion of everyone present and the sight of the idols on the screen;

It feels almost natural!

Only Honoka sings now, standing in an ethereal orange spotlight of her own, a single voice filling the hall as all eyes watch her every movement, her fingers tracing an upwards arc towards all of you, her arms outward;

An instrumental break follows, and the crowd besides you is the only thing you hear now, a blur of colour being thrust into the air rhythmically, the stage screen a dreamlike background of stars and circles and triangles and hearts, the stage lights white now, lazily wandering across the hall as the idols dance without a care, settling into a circle formation -

Only Eli faces the crowd now in the sky-blue light, almost beckoning you in -

Those with their backs turned on stage turn ninety degrees to the side as Maki continues in that familiar red-hued light;

In the centre of this circle, facing you now is Honoka as the circle around her raises their arms skyward and pulls down, reeling in their hopes and dreams, and circular projections flicker across the stage;

 _Accept this happiness and join with me_

Cherry blossoms fall like snow onto the stage as the circle becomes a line, two lines, their formations shifting as they dance, moving from side to side again -

The two lines become one, split into two again and shift amongst each other before locking into two shimmering lines;

One final line of song, and the stage lights cycle between their signature colours in turn with each line;

" _Hey, Start: DASH!_ "

" _Hey, Start: DASH!_ "

The music comes to a stop, and the stage darkens as they, too, come to a stop...

 **-Dancing Stars on Me!-**

The stage is dark, if only for a second; you hear a howl, and the sound of rusty gates creaking as fog engulfs the floor of the stage and a crescent moon descends. The stage lights turn on, and atmospheric purple reveals µ's, their feet obscured by the fog as if they were ghosts, their outfits faint blue and purple, lit up like spirits.

They stand with one arm raised to shoulder level, their fists in front of their necks, their eyes closed as they stand for the bells of the introduction...

A jump in the air as µ's cheer and dance outwards from their formation; the music finds life and you witness a shock of atmospheric purple lighting and flakes of confetti rain down upon the stage, slim white stage lights firing photon bursts as the crowd becomes royal purple, a dark atmosphere entering the hall.

 _It's a magical_

A steady beat holds, and it's almost as if it's Halloween again, yellow-lit silhouettes of houses in the background; the crowd keeps pace as you watch the crowd of bodies jump and dance and wave with the beat;

Ghosts fade across the stage, and among the fog you still recognise dancing feet -

The formation shifts, and Hanayo emerges from Eli and Nico's outstretched hands;

 _It's a magical_

Kotori, Umi and Maki take centre stage as six turn their backs, their hands waving across the dark night they stand in -

Fog creeps into the crowd, drawing you all further into this new spirit;

 _Dancing stars on me!_

The screen grows darker again and blue streaks are traced down the crowd as Nozomi, Honoka and Rin stand in the centre, six dance circles around them,

A pulse of white light illuminates the stage!

They rotate like clockwork, the ghosts on stage leaving after images in the dim light;

A burst of confetti falls like blossoms!

The circle stops again and raises their arms to the air again, and the circle in the centre disperses, twirling outwards to form two lines, two lines that hold their hand to their hips and point outwards as night turns to day, the dim purple lights on stage becoming a noble white, and everything stops for a moment -

 _Let us dance even more, even more_

The fog vanishes, the crescent moon disappears, and they touch each foot with their hands from side to side, an upward arc, and they raise each leg up to touch their feet with their hands delicately yet swiftly again, bright purple projections on stage turn to yellow and blue

Even as the fog has disappeared, the moon has vanished and the stage screen depicts daytime, the ocean of purple kingblades bathes you in a wonderful depiction of night, even still as the stage lights flash brilliant white;

Another scene appears onscreen, that of the street in the PV, the final scene

 _Let us dance even more, even more_

Confetti falls again now onto this daytime stage, even more than before, and it doesn't stop falling - the white stage lights flash, and the stars on stage before you are radiant blue and purple as they dance even more -

A dance of circles leads the nine once again into a two-line formation and they stand, reaching their arms out and drawing in, as if to reel the crowd in as they turn to the side and lean backwards as one leg folds; it's a lively scene, and the rain doesn't stop, a step to the right, a step to the left, a clockwork circular motion with their arms, and a twirl; Kotori and Eli kneel as their dancing slows to a pose, and the confetti stops, the music fading out, the lights fading to black...

 **INTERMISSION**

The silence of an empty dressing room was shattered as the door was flung wide open, the nine members of µ's pouring in, charging the room with energy as they almost skipped to the centre of the room, an atmosphere of chatter now present; Umi giggled as she placed herself besides Maki; she turned around and took Maki by the waist, drawing her in for a spirited yet unexpected kiss, her lips grasping Maki's for a single spontaneous moment.

"Oh, wow, you're in a good mood, aren't you?" Maki remarked, impressed, to which Umi giggled again.

"It's very different from the type of dance I'm used to, but it's great fun. I'm glad I still remember how to do this!"

A circle formed in the centre of the room as Nozomi closed the door behind her and took her place besides Eli. Most of them were smiling almost as much was physically allowed, some of them fidgeting or making idle motions on the spot as an outlet for their energy.

"So far, so good!" Honoka remarked, beaming.

"Maybe this was a good idea after all, Honoka." Nico commented. "That was the most fun I've had in a long time."

Honoka ruffled Nico's hair gently. "I'm glad!" She said, to which Nico half-heartedly swatted away Honoka's hand, prompting a giggle.

Kotori almost jumped in glee: "I'd almost forgotten how passionate the Akiba crowd can be!" she said, her eyes wide open with joy. "I've performed a few times in my café in Paris, but it's nothing compared to this..."

"Oh, my, I'd almost forgotten about my job..." Nozomi said, an air of calm confidence in her voice, "for all I know, some of my employees are here watching me perform. I hope I'm not setting a bad example."

"I don't regret a single thing about this." Eli replied. "I'm glad I finally got to dance again."

Nico turned her gaze to Eli: "Hey, Eli, have you seen the news? Apparently we're #1 in the idol rankings for some reason. I'm not sure how or why, but we're there."

"I saw it last night! I showed Honoka. I don't think we should be there, personally, but if they're happy, I'm happy."

"I suppose we're just plain old idols now." Hanayo said. "That's what A-RISE did, and they wanted us to continue anyway."

"I can't believe they're still going." Nico replied.

"Speak for yourself, Nico. We're performing. Today." Came Maki, a knowing, almost teasing smile on her face.

"Aw, Maki. You know it's for one day..." Nico said, devolving into laughter with Maki as she put her hands to her mouth, and Maki sighed contentedly. "It's a nice change of pace, at least." Maki remarked.

"How's everyone doing with their personas, as far as changes of pace go?" Nozomi asked, surveying the circle, to which she received mixed to good responses.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, responding to Eli's 'so-so' head sway.

"I know we practiced it a little, but I'm not really bothering with it that much. When we were younger, our personas were mostly just ourselves," she replied, nodding at Nico, who simply smiled quietly, "so I came to the conclusion that our personas now would still be just ourselves."

"It just kind of comes naturally, I suppose." Maki interjected, gesturing with her hands; "We spent a long time making it feel natural. My persona used to be the reserved, prickly girl, but I don't want to be that person any more, so I'm just myself."

"I think...I think it's hardest for me." Rin murmured; the room went quiet and all eyes were on Rin. "I was the genki girl, with Honoka. But I'm a little more reserved, and it takes so much energy to be like that nowadays."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Rin." Nozomi said, her assurance cutting through the tension immediately, "You did just fine up on stage!"

Hanayo put her hand on Rin's shoulder.

"You were very energetic up there."

Rin beamed, and animation returned to her stance.

"Thanks, Kayochin! You always know what to say..."

"I'm glad, Rin. Now, come on, you need to keep up that energy. We both do, at least, so let's go eat."

 **=Lily White MC=**

Later on...

The white lights above the stage brighten again as kingblades are withdrawn and raised into the air again, drawing the crowd partially, but not fully, out of the trance put upon it, focusing all eyes towards the trio in the centre - though you are unable to hear what they're saying over the din of the crowd, and you crane your neck to see the idols over the waving arms ahead of you. Nozomi looks to Umi and says something you cannot hear or even lipread, to which Umi replies which a gentle nod and a single line which you are also unable to make out. You look over to Rin, who simply appears to be surveying the crowd with what almost seems like wonder on her face in the revealing light of the stage as the crowd continues to cheer and you feel that familiar concert haze rising again. Rin puts her hands together as if to address a classroom, and the noise subsides.

"Hello, Tokyo Dome City Hall, and thank you!" She says, to which the crowd responds with a cheer; you can hear the woman next to you cheering too as she raises a yellow kingblade into the air, lost in the excitement of the concert still. Rin, Umi and Nozomi synchronise their stances and move their hands across the air as if drawing something on some unseen canvas, ending on a head tilt and a stylish pose:

" _We are Lily White!_ " They announce.

"I'm sad it's not spring. I wanted to do Shunjou Romantic next..." Nozomi says, breaking the ice.

"We still have plenty of other songs to do though, don't we?" Umi replies.

"It's...it's a very, very hot summer day though!" Rin says. "I hope you all stay hydrated in the summer heat!"

The crowd cheers again, milder this time, even if many of them likely will not heed her advice. The large screen behind them shows Rin's smiling face.

"So, uhm...wow, it's been a while, ehehe...hmm..."

"It's nice that we're all together again. Ehe..."

Rin pauses again to catch her breath, and clears her throat, delicately touching her heart with her fingers; she speaks quickly.

She takes a breath: "So, I was thinking on the way here...I'm...I'm so glad to be here with all of you, in the w-warm Tokyo summer."

She pauses again, and breathes in once more.

"Ah...wow, the crowd looks so pretty...so, uhm..."

Nozomi and Umi take a step towards Rin, and each place their hands on her shoulder and back respectively, whispering something into her ear. You don't hear or see what they say once again, but you hear murmurs among the crowd.

"What's happening?" The man on your left asks you.

"Maybe she's just nervous." The woman to your right replies, kingblade in hand. You see a few kingblades in the crowd tentatively snap to yellow.

"So, as I was saying, I'm glad to be here!" Rin continues. "The thrill of the show, the feel of the stage...being here with you!"

The crowd cheers rapturously now, a forest of mostly neon yellow partially obscuring your view.

"Ah, so...uhm..."

Rin stops again, and this time you can hear her breathing audibly over the sound system. You continue to focus on her; Nozomi squeezes her shoulder and Umi rubs her upper back supportively, and Rin simply looks down and continues to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry, let me just..."

She cups her mouth to her hands and fixes her hair, clearing her throat, sniffling and readjusting her stance.

She fixes her stance again and straightens her outfit.

"I'm sorry..." She repeats again as she shakes her head, to the concern of the crowd as Nozomi and Umi lean in to talk to her again, her breathing very much noticeable.

Rin takes a few moments and takes a few deep breaths in, fanning her face with her hands. The screen behind her at the back of the stage pans out to show all of lily white now.

She looks down again, sniffles, and puts her hands back to her face.

"I'm sorry..."

* * *

 **RIN HOSHIZORA**

"I'm sorry..." Rin repeated once more, the harsh stage lights unforgiving now. The entire crowd was yellow in support now but even in the face of this crowd's worth of support, all Rin saw was darkness, and all she heard was her own heartbeat, her own blood through her body.

"Let j-let me just..."

Rin's breathing became heavy and shaky, and her mouth became dry; it tasted like failure to her as her next attempt to clear her throat made her painfully aware of the feeling in the back of it. The crowd's best efforts to support Rin with a lightning-coloured display were noticed, but not understood properly as words of support poured out from the darkness, from crowd members hoping they would be heard, from the two women beside her.

Nozomi and Umi put their hands to their ears and looked down, listening to their earpieces, and the crowd's support fell on deaf ears. Rin covered her face entirely with her hands and shook her head twice more - no more sound came from the speakers, the microphones cut off. Nozomi tried to turn Rin towards her, but Rin backed away, shaking her head insistently. She continued to back away towards the back of the stage, desperate to escape both failure and danger.

"Rin...you can do this." Umi assured. Nozomi smiled and nodded in agreement, reaching out her hand.

"I can't, Umi...I, I-I have to leave. I can't be here. Someth...something's wrong. I can feel it, something's wrong with - my heart hurts, my throat hurts, everything's _wrong_!"

Rin backed away three more steps towards the exit before she turned around and bolted offstage.

"Rin! Come back!" She heard Umi call behind her.

It was too late; Rin was gone.

Harsh white lights, the transition of the noise of the crowd to a foreboding silence, the air sterile in the summer heat.

The clattering of panicked footsteps echoing through the backstage corridors of the Tokyo Dome City Hall dulled to heavy, irregular heel clacking, but the laboured breathing didn't subside, nor did the shaking, the foreboding sense of death, or the sobbing, the unending sobbing...

Rin wasn't sure where she was, or where she was going, or where she'd been. Why couldn't she see properly? Why wasn't her vision working, or her heart, or her head, or her senses, or even herself?

Her vision seemed blurry, like something that should have corrected itself, but didn't. Rin tried her best to stop the shaking, to make her muscles obey her.

They did not obey. She still felt like she was shaking all over, but couldn't really be sure as she couldn't feel anything any more; her hand, her face, her neck, all _numb_.

Why wasn't she standing up straight anymore? She wanted to either scream or be sick, and felt like both were going to happen at once. The feeling stuck in her throat felt wrong, and she wanted it gone, but wishing it away proved hopeless, and so it remained.

 _"I'm going to die..."_ , she thought. _"It's coming for me. I'm going to die right here."_

 _"I'm shutting down."_

Rin pawed at the wall and righted herself, struggling to make her unsteady legs and lungs co-operate, and righted herself with one last burst of energy in a desperate attempt to escape the prying eyes that were surely following her.

"Hanayo, what is she doing?" Honoka exclaimed, her eyes intently watching Rin's last position on the live feed on her laptop.

"I-I'm not sure, Honoka..."

"What do you mean you don't know, Hanayo?! Surely you know everything there is to know about her?!"

"Honoka, don't shout, please."

"I think Honoka just wants to know what's making Rin so nervous..."

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen her like this since university, Kotori."

"She's left Umi and Nozomi there on stage!"

"Honoka, please! For goodness' sake, lower your voice!"

"I just don't know what they're going to do..."

"Tell them to stay there. I'm going to go and search for her. If you need help, ask Nico, Eli or Maki."

"I'm coming with you too, Hanayo!"

"Actually, I think it's better if Kotori comes with me and you sit tight on that sofa. You seem agitated, and I wouldn't want Rin picking up on that. I'm sorry, Honoka. Don't take it personally. I just want to make sure she calms down, whatever's happening."

Honoka nodded and beamed in response, and relaxed her shoulders, slumping slightly as her expression returned to her resting smile, a poker face perhaps. Kotori looked between Hanayo and Honoka nervously before gently raising herself from the corner sofa, sympathetically meeting Honoka's eyes, as if to assure her that no offence was intended. She was unable to determine Honoka's response before Honoka beamed again politely and returned her gaze to the screen.

Hanayo walked as far as the door and held it open for Kotori before breaking into a run down the corridor outside, catching Kotori off-guard as she matched Hanayo's pace a second later.

"Hanayo, wait for me!" Kotori shouted ahead of her, though Hanayo only slowed down a little as they started their panicked run through the seemingly clinically white-lit corridors of Tokyo Dome City Hall's backstage. It was just as unfamiliar to Kotori as it was to Hanayo; Hanayo herself was unsure of where she was headed as she led Kotori blindly past countless unfamiliar doors, any of which could have contained Rin, but she knew that Rin didn't know where she was going either. It was flawed logic, to be sure, but it was her only hope as someone who knew Rin better than anyone else in the world. Kotori kept up for the most part, her sickness from days previous showing no signs of itself, though fear started to set in instead, fear of what may have happened to Rin as Kotori's heart overclocked itself twice over and her lungs failed to keep up, the emotional strain of the situation taxing her body already - she could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears, and she didn't like it.

Hanayo stopped just outside the exit to the MEETS PORT reception and turned around, distraught. "Did you see her, Kotori?" She said, her body rising and falling as she took deep breaths in an attempt to put herself to rest. In the distance was the drone of fans in the lobby, mostly unaware of what had taken place.

"I'm sorry, Hanayo, I didn't...I didn't hear her either."

"Oh, this is bad..."

"Shall we walk back? Maybe we'll find her on the way." Kotori said as she smiled at Hanayo, making the best attempt she could to melt Hanayo's worries away with charm. Hanayo knew this method all too well, and relaxed her expression.

"That sounds like a great idea, Kotori. Maybe we'll be able to hear her a little better without the sound of us running through the corridors."

And with this, Kotori put her hand on Hanayo's back and ushered her back in the direction they came from, their footfalls tiny, if not uneven, clicks against the floor now.

"I'm a little lost, to be honest..."

"Don't worry, Kotori, it doesn't matter. We're not lost if we find Rin."

A silent agreement formed between the both of them to cease talking. Their focus was mostly in their hearing now; it was mostly background noise, be it the electric buzzing of the lights on the ceiling, the faint whisper of the crowd in the lobby, or the distant, indistinguishable noise of the crowd in the concert hall.

Tension rose once again as they approached their dressing room without hearing any sign of Rin, though that tension was broken at a junction when Kotori gently put her hand on Hanayo's shoulder, stopping Hanayo in her tracks as Kotori raised a finger; "I think I hear her." Kotori whispered.

Hanayo did not speak, but moved her ear towards the door as Kotori did. They heard muffled sobbing, irregular and punctuated by gasps that sounded almost pained, likely on the far side of the room.

"What do we do?" Kotori whispered.

"She hasn't been like this for a long time...Not since just before she dropped out of university." Hanayo whispered back, her eyes darting between Kotori and the door.

"What do you mean, Hanayo?"

"Rin has a history of taking on more than she can handle...sometimes she doesn't take care of herself. I try to help her, but I can't always stop her from making hasty decisions."

"Ah...I know what you mean. I spent the whole day with her at the arcade, and she just couldn't get enough of Akihabara. Nico had to tell her to slow down."

"...Yes, exactly."

"Anyway, uhm...I'll let you talk with Rin alone. I wouldn't want to be a burden, so I'll be outside, if you need me. Please tell me if Rin's okay!"

"I will." Hanayo replied.

Kotori watched Hanayo open the door, and close it behind her. She didn't catch any glimpse of Rin, and so simply hoped for her safety.

Hanayo found Rin on the floor of the unused dressing room, propped up against the corner sofa on the far-right corner, sitting on her side with one hand on her stomach. There was a look of fear in her eyes, though her gaze seemed out of focus, lost in her own thoughts.

Hanayo strolled towards Rin, her footsteps barely audible now, and sat on the floor beside Rin, keeping a few inches between them to be sure. "May I touch you, Rin?" She asked, pre-emptively moving in for a comforting hug.

 _"NO!"_

The sheer ferocity and unexpectedness of the sound of Rin screaming at her jolted Hanayo, but yet...Rin didn't seem angry. The intensity of that single roar died to a whimper as Rin continued sobbing, her eyes back on the ground.

"Please...just hold my hand."

Hanayo nervously took Rin's hand, terrified of another outburst. No such outburst came from Rin as Hanayo held her hand; it was warm, if not a little cooler than it should be, and covered in sweat, but shaking slightly. Rin continued to sob pitifully, her eyes lifeless and red-ringed against the pale background of her face. Hanayo joined their fingers together, though Rin didn't seem to notice.

"What's happened to me, Kayochin? What's...what's happening to me? I, I..." Rin got as far as the first trembling word of another sentence before being interrupted by another wave of faint, gasping sobs, sniffles and whines, the only sounds in an otherwise silent environment as Rin continued to stare at the floor, broken.

"I can't go back out there, I can't, I can't! I-I let-I let-I've dis..." Rin's sentence went unfinished. Hanayo could see that she was still shaking. Hanayo shuffled a little closer and squeezed Rin's sweat-drenched hand gently.

"Take your time, Rin. There's no rush."

Moments passed as Rin remained silent, taking deep breaths in, her hands trembling in Hanayo's grasp, her overheated body slowly cooling as she tried her best to return to reality, to little effect. Moments turned to minutes as Hanayo shifted her gaze every so often in a show of kind patience.

Her first words came out minutes later: "I've...I've let everyone down...I've...my heart..."

Rin took a deep breath in, and finally managed a full sentence.

"I used to be so confident. What's happened to me, Kayochin?" She continued. She was still shaking and breathing heavily, and her voice were as if she was about to be sick.

"I'm here for you, Rin. Don't worry." Hanayo said, afraid of a misstep. "Do you want to go to the hospital?"

Rin didn't respond, but instead whimpered, though she did not make any effort to get up, which Hanayo interpreted as a no.

Minutes more of silence followed as Rin returned to her pattern of heavy breathing, sniffling, shaking, and ineffective attempts to gain composure. Hanayo continued to wait, perfectly content to sit there until interrupted.

"I used to be so confident, Hanayo." Rin remarked, breaking the silence, though not breaking her fixation on the floor. She sniffled again, and her breathing was, for the most part, inaudible, though Hanayo still felt occasional trembles in her now limp hand.

"I was the student council president. I made it to university. I was even the leader of µ's for a bit." She continued, still distraught.

Hanayo remained silent for a moment, wondering if it was okay to talk to Rin yet.

"Rin...you have to take care of yourself, sometimes. It doesn't matter where you are in life, you have to take care of yourself first."

Rin did not respond to Hanayo.

"I'm not what I used to be, Kayochin. I can't do this again. I can't."

"That's okay, Rin", Hanayo said, "Nobody's going to make you do this again. Not me, not Honoka, not your parents, nobody. I'm here for you."

Rin nodded slightly in response. "I'm sorry, Kayochin, but I can't go back up there right now. Is that okay?"

"That's perfectly fine, Rin. Are you okay to go back to the dressing room?"

Rin paused, her eyes finally leaving the floor, turning her head to train them on Hanayo. "Only the dressing room. Please."

When Hanayo and Rin left the empty dressing room, Kotori was waiting outside - and Eli, and Nico, and Honoka and Maki, and Umi and Nozomi.

They were met with an uncomfortable silence as Hanayo processed the unexpected excess of people, and looked at Rin out of the corner of her eye, standing partially between her and the group that had formed: Rin's expression was somewhat ambivalent, burnt out even.

"...I'm sorry, Umi. Nozomi." Rin murmured, barely making eye contact.

"Rin..." Umi began. "Don't worry about it. We understand what happened, and we don't think any less of you."

Umi's expression warmed to optimistically hopeful, belying her own brand of exhaustion.

"The lily white subunit corner went along just fine." Nozomi added. "It's happened to plenty of other people and nobody ever thought any less of them. We won't pressure you to come back on stage, so you can take it easy and sit backstage."

"Um, actually...could I join you for the last song?" Rin said, prompting some glances of surprise.

"Only if you're absolutely sure, Rin." Eli assured. "You have to be ready if you want to join us for the final part."

"Maybe you should dress up anyway, just to be sure." Nico added. "Be sure to take it easy for me, okay?"

* * *

 **Reverie**

µ's dressing room

A voice came from Rin's earpiece as she watched Nico putting her hand to her ear live on stream, catching her breath after the end of the last song: "Hey, how's it going, Rin? How's it going with Hanayo?"

"I think I'm okay now, Nico! I'm all dressed, too."

"I'll see you on stage! You're gonna look amazing, okay? Knock 'em dead for me."

"Give it a twirl, Rin! Not too hard, though." Hanayo spoke, encouraging Rin as best she could.

Rin twirled, and the skirt on her dress fluttered slightly - white sleeves running the length of her arms, a pink and white dress; the top half is white, though from the waist down, pink segments with white frills overlap each other delicately with deep pink bows attached at the colour transition, as if to hold something in place, with a single cream yellow rose lower down holding another arc of pink fabric; her shoes were snow white with two small pink bows and upon her head, a pure white headband with a shocking pink hibiscus flower. It was a beautiful, velvet white, a pure white, paired with a hopeful yet mature light pink.

Hanayo brushed off Rin's dress for her and moved forward to adjust several parts; "Oh, you have to see my favourite part of it! Let me just...there!"

Hanayo stood back, and showed Rin to the mirror; beneath the white of her outfit, beneath the frills, beneath the skirt, was a faint luminescence, though fainter than their previous costumes, a light that almost wanted to be free.

"This is it?" Rin asked, puzzled.

"You know that isn't it, Rin." Hanayo said, taking Rin's hand. "Now, come on. It's almost time. Let's get back on stage."

 **-Bokutachi wa Hitotsu no Hikari-**

The lights fade to total darkness now, and the crowd becomes nervous. You still hear cheers and screams, but there's a tension in the air - everyone knows it's the end. The only thing you see now are the spectrum of kingblades being vigorously waved in every direction.

Gradually, the starry sky from the beginning returns, a rich blue spilling across the stage and the ceiling, dotting them with tiny crystalline stars, and ephemeral circular white projections saunter across the floor of the stage. You hear the noise of the crowd, yet...without the nine of them speaking, it almost feels like a silence, or even a liminal space, a gap in time as the noise of the crowd seems to become increasingly muted. You can see silhouettes on stage huddled in a circle, but they're unmoving, barely visible.

This silence seems to last forever as the crowd begins to hush, lowering their kingblades as the rainbow-tinted ocean grows still, parts of it disappears like stars fading from the sky at sunrise, and the tension builds without limit as you keep your eyes on the seemingly motionless shadows in the middle of the stage.

"One!" You hear a voice say over the sound system, echoing throughout the room.

"Two" Another voice says.

"Three!"

"Four!"

"Five!"

"Six!"

"Seven!"

"Eight!"

"Nine!"

"Ten!" The crowd adds.

"µ's Music Start!" You hear all nine members yell as faint blue stage lights flood the stage, stars drifting over all in the Tokyo Dome City Hall, a galaxy in itself. Everyone knows it's the end and not the start, but it still feels so right to hear; you see more yellow than usual in the crowd, no doubt due to Rin's return.

You hear those chimes, and you know it's begun; on the vast screen at the back of the stage, the PV for Bokutachi wa Hitotsu no Hikari fades in, that dreamy, starry background drawing you in as bubbles drift slowly across the stage and through the hall, and the outfits of µ's faintly glow faintly, as if you see their hearts - a dull but hopeful white.

The music begins and their outfits burn bright, an explosion of hues against the starry sky and the circle moves outwards, dancing with their arms outstretched, smiling as if it truly were their last show - and it was, and the circle inverts as each member crosses over to the opposite side;

 _"Ah! It began with a subtle premonition...";_

Honoka's arm raises upwards towards you, the stage lights fading to orange

 _Ah! Like a starry sky, hope never truly fades;_

Nozomi and Rin finish each other's line perfectly, white light illuminating their brilliant smiles

 _A flower may wither in the winter, but like your smile, it will return;_

Nico and Hanayo finish each other's line just as perfectly as Eli and Umi wave to the crowd;

The circle of idols reaches out to the crowd, the crowd cheers again, and it's almost as if the nine in front of you have forgotten it's the end.

Together, they dance, a moving circle, and even if intangible, their shared connection remains;

The circle moves around still, the crowd's roar barely registering below their voices, purple, light blue, yellow, green, deep blue, orange, grey, pink and red moving like clockwork, reaching towards you as they pass by as together they form a rainbow whirl...

 _We are a single light;_

They raise their arms upwards to the starry sky again...

 _Even the little bird must leave the nest someday;_

They sing loud enough for the world to hear now and burst of colour comes forth from their outfits as the crowd screams now, their kingblades lighting up grey

 _But even so, it may return;_

It almost feels like goodbye, but their outfits shimmer still

 _There may be an ocean between us, but no distance will keep us apart forever;_

The screen behind shows Umi's carefree smile against a dreamlike blue sky, mirrored by a deep blue kingblade ocean in the crowd, which shifts to crimson

 _Would you like to turn back time?_

 _No, no, no, this moment is the greatest..._

The music sounds almost carefree now, without regret; there are no words needed as the circle continues, waving off the crowd as the final song draws closer to its end - the circle inverts multiple times, and each stage light is a different colour. You're still bathed in star projections, and the hall in galaxy blue. You can feel the body heat of everyone rising in the hall, if only for a moment, but that's the experience. Your eyes are still fixed firmly on stage; they're waving to you again as members of the circle move in, hold hands, move out like a gear in some unseen clock...

The screen behind them shows their discarded training clothes on the grass, as shown in the original PV so many years ago, the day of the end of µ's;

Nico appears to limp slightly, but she fights through it, and her face shows tears on, but she fights through them still, making them tears of joy;

 _We made it here it here chasing the light;_

They wave again, lowering their hands, raising them again; it's almost the end, but all good things must come to an end

 _We won't say farewell, we'll meet again, won't you call me?_

The dim, starry skies in the hall, the spectrum of kingblades that look as if they were white light split through a spectrum, almost feel like the end of a memorable dream;

The nine of them form a line, and step in circles, a step, another step forward, and make a turn before forming another circle, raising their hands together;

 _Even the little bird must leave the nest someday;_

Rin supports Nico with an arm over her shoulder, bringing µ's into a circle

 _But even so, it may return;_

A twirl outwards, and the skirts of their outfits transform into vibrant-hued cascades of their signature colours, blue, pink, orange, green, yellow, purple, red and grey in an instant, and you hear the crowd scream one last time, the smooth white glow on their outfits shining rainbow amongst the stars on an orange-lit stage, the faint light from beneath their outfits a radiant white glow

 _There may be an ocean between us, but our hearts will forever be connected;_

Bubbles begin to drift across the stage, blown by an unseen breeze, sparkling, shifting through the colours you see before you;

 _A memory trapped in a painting can be painful, but we'll cherish those memories together_

It's the end now, and the crowd reaches fever pitch, inspired by the change in colours, and the static you hear once again becomes the sound of a cheering crowd;

 _Would you like to turn back time?_

 _No, no, no, this moment is the greatest!_

 _After all, after all, this moment is the greatest!_

 _Ah! Even the faintest of dreams can change everything_

 _Ah!_ _We've come this far chasing our dreams..._

* * *

 **Fall**

Late Sunday afternoon.

Dried tears, headaches, aching muscles and inactive costumes undercut a tense silence as the former members of µ's filed into the dressing room, exhaustion an emotion shared even as they took seats on the makeup counter, the chairs at the counter, the corner sofa, and Rin lowered both herself and Nico onto the beanbag nearby; the only sounds coming from anyone were the unsynchronised clicks of dress shoes against the floor and the shuffling of dresses. The lights seemed dim compared to those of the stage now, and the air wasn't any better either.

"Wow, what a show that was! I could almost do that all over again!" Honoka said, her airy exclamation shattering the silence, an unbreakable smile still on her face, her stage persona inseparable from her true personality.

"Honoka, we're all tired. Please, just quiet down." Umi said as she distractedly observed herself in the mirror, hushing Honoka with a firm yet breezy tone. Honoka simply stared at Umi, puzzled - as if exhaustion was a foreign concept to her, her mind still racing from the thrill of performing once again.

"Did...did it really go that badly for you all?" Honoka asked.

Umi turned around and focused her gaze onto Honoka fully now, and narrowed her eyes in irritation, a glance becoming a glare.

"Did it go that badly? I almost lost my father today. Rin had a panic attack and Hanayo had to comfort her. Nico's injured her ankle, and we're all at our limit. I would call that going badly, Honoka."

"I'm sorry, Umi, I-"

" _Are you, Honoka_? All of this has happened because of your selfish desire to live in the past! You pretended that you didn't see this concert coming, but really, I think you had this planned all along. You didn't even care about whether _we_ wanted to relive old memories once again, because you were going to drag us all along with you regardless. You haven't changed at all, Honoka. You don't think about anyone but _yourself_! Now, please. Leave me alone."

Umi turned away, and Honoka did not reply, instead staring, dumbfounded, processing the fact that everything Umi had said was in fact directed at her. She didn't much like her name being used against her, and yet...she was barely registering what had just been said about her as the adrenaline wore off and the gears of her mind slowed, her attention brought plummeting back down to earth.

"Umi, you're shouting again...don't you think you're being a little harsh on Honoka?" Kotori said.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that, Kotori, but not now." Umi replied, her eyes still forcefully fixed on her own hair.

"Umi...maybe it's a little unfair to say that. I can't speak for everyone else, but I at least wanted to do this." A voice said from even further away, a chair that had been moved metres away from the counter. Umi didn't see it, but Rin nodded in agreement, too exhausted and afraid of being caught in the crossfire to voice her concerns.

"Maybe so, but that isn't the case for everyone else, Eli."

"Umi, please listen to me...all I wanted was to reconnect." Honoka said, almost pleading as she reached out to touch Umi's shoulder.

" _I don't want to hear it_!" Umi snapped, her head jerking back towards Honoka, though her back still faced everyone. Honoka reflexively pulled her hand away in shock as if she'd touched the surface of a stove with her bare hands, staring wide-eyed at Umi.

"Because of you, Rin's in the worst place she's been in for years. Maybe you should have thought about what this could have done to us all before you made us chase your unfinished dream. Now, please, leave me alone."

Umi looked once again at her hair and absentmindedly fiddled with it in an attempt to look occupied, forcing a distraction on herself.

A hand once again reached out towards Umi's shoulder, and as it gently made contact with Umi's shoulder, she spun round with an unprecedented ferocity as her sharp nails pressed into the hand and ripped it from her shoulder.

"I said _**leave me alone**_!"

There was no response; Umi immediately came to regret what she'd done when she saw the woman standing in front of her as she turned around, the owner of the hand she'd viciously torn away.

"Maki..."

Maki's eyes were wide open, yet somehow blank, and she didn't reply or even move, clutching her fingers delicately as she stared in disbelief, her stance stiff and awkward, her mouth ajar at someone she thought was her lover, someone who had hurt her before she had even spent the night in her arms. Silence dominated as the other four turned to see the source of the unexpected outburst. Seconds passed, motionless; an overwhelming sense of gravity formed between Umi and Maki, like a black hole.

Time resumed slowly as Maki took several slow steps backwards, towards the door, her right hand still cradling her left.

"Maki, I'm sorry."

Maki didn't respond or even acknowledge Umi's plea.

"Maki, please!" Umi breathed as Maki's eyes made contact with Umi's once more before closing her mouth and turning away, making a silent exit. Umi couldn't see if she'd drawn blood, and only saw Maki's face for a moment, but she'd seen enough; she knew that through the shock, through the distance, through the exhaustion, she'd seen betrayal. Umi attempted to give chase with an urgent stride, but found herself stopped in her tracks by Nozomi's outstretched arm.

"Let her go, Umi. You need to calm down yourself first."

Umi sighed in shame and worry, red haze lifting from her thoughts.

The sharp sound of a vibrating phone on a hard surface diverted Nozomi and Umi's attention; it was Honoka's phone, continuing to vibrate on the counter. Umi scanned the room for its owner, but to no avail.

"Where's Honoka?" Umi asked.

"She left as well." Nozomi replied.

The phone continued to produce a shrill noise as it received notification after notification; driven by equal parts annoyance and curiosity, Nozomi, Eli and Umi converged towards the device, looking at the excerpts of notifications on the screen.

"Yukiho:

I'm sorry. I didn't know anything about what you were doing and it wasn't my place to judge y..."

After 10 seconds came another buzz.

"Yukiho:

Mom supported you, and so did Dad. I should have done the same, even before I knew wh..."

The phone vibrated again after a 15 second wait.

"Yukiho:

I was wrong to talk to you like that. When you come home, I've made something to say sorry. P..."

The trio stared at the device for a full minute; no more notifications came. Yukiho's explanation was done.

Umi, Nozomi and Eli shared glances, though Nozomi and Eli looked more at Umi than each other, searching for something. They saw what they hoped for: realisation, realisation that regardless of her point, Umi had in fact been too harsh.

"I'm a monster." Umi murmured, taking a step back and placing her hands over her mouth. "Honoka was happy, and I was rude, and bossy, and vicious to her. Now look what I've done! I've driven Maki away already!"

"Ugh, I have such a headache...calm down, Umi." Nozomi said. "I'm sure everything will work out."

"How can I be sure everything will work out?! Look what I've done!" Umi said, panic setting in.

Nozomi and Eli glanced at each other, to which they both simply nodded.

Eli moved towards Umi, her posture relaxed, and Nozomi left the room with the same cool, outgoing strut.

Unknown dressing room

Nozomi found Maki sitting on a chair at the counter in an empty dressing room; it wasn't difficult to find, given that she'd left the door ajar. Nozomi closed the door behind her with a tiny click, and the outside world ceased to exist.

"Hey, Maki. Just checking in to make sure you're fine." Nozomi said, ambling across the room towards Maki.

A distracted "Mhm" was all that came from Maki.  
"Even if you are, it wouldn't hurt to chat, would it?" Nozomi said, taking another chair from under the counter and placing herself besides Maki, resting her arms casually on the counter and turning her head to her right, where Maki looked down, unfocused.

"Heh, yeah...I suppose so..." Maki replied. Nozomi smiled, and tilted her head sympathetically.

"Being in a relationship isn't easy, Maki. Don't worry about it."

Maki sighed. "I suppose, but...honestly? I don't think it's working out."

Nozomi's composure broke, and she stared at Maki, sympathetically wide-eyed.

Maki continued: "I don't know when I'll do it, but..."

Exhale.

"...I...I'm thinking of breaking up with her today."

Nozomi's mouth opened, ajar.

"Maki..."

Maki's eyes never left the counter as she kept talking, laying out what she believed to be a solid argument.

"It doesn't feel the same as it did 5 years ago, or even before that. Maybe we were meant to be together then. But not anymore."

Nozomi shook her head in concern that hid anxiety and panic - the feeling that she was watching everything fall apart before her eyes.

"How can you know, Maki? You've been together only days, and even then, you haven't had much chance to be alone together to see if the spark is still there. Do you remember how you felt last night, at Minato Mirai? We could all tell there was something between you before either of you told us."

"It was a festival, Nozomi...of course it would seem that way. I was careless, and caught up in the festival spirit."

"Oh, I'm not talking about the festival," Nozomi countered, faint desperation underlining her words as she moved her hand towards Maki's in support, "It's much more than that; how you stayed up late talking with her in your living room, how you spent most of Thursday together, how you even went to Akiba together with her and Eli. Do you think Eli and I got married right away, or even entered a relationship right away? You watched us both spend years dancing around our feelings for each other, and that's how it was between us until Eli confessed for good. And even then, that wasn't the first confession between us. It was a convoluted dance between the two of us, where neither of us wanted to get any closer, yet neither of us wanted to get any further away. Do you know what I'm talking about, Maki? How you spent all those years pining after her?"

Maki's fixation on the counter finally broke as she turned her head to face Nozomi.

"Don't act so shocked." Nozomi remarked. "You already told me yourself. Maybe not in those words, but you told me enough. So? Do you remember that feeling?"

Maki's head didn't turn away fully, but her eyes did. "I do, but...she's been so distant. I've barely had any time with her."

"Before I met you, Eli was the same." Nozomi replied. "If you remember what I told you long ago, I was so afraid of talking to her before we first met in first year at Otonokizaka. She intimidated me so much...I was...so afraid to talk to her. She was so lonely..."

Nozomi was the first to turn her attention away as she swallowed and bowed her head; her eyes wavered a little as her gaze defocused, reliving memories unknown to Maki.

"Are you okay, Nozomi?"

"I...I'm fine, Maki." Nozomi said, returning her focus to Maki.

For the most part, Nozomi's composure returned, though desperation still remained, and she continued: "My point is that she seemed distant when we first met, but she had a lot on her plate. She was so depressed up until shortly after she met Honoka and the rest of you, and I felt powerless to help her for the first two years at Otonokizaka. But gradually, as we learnt about each other, she opened up to me about her problems. I think that if you're there for Umi, especially after what happened to her father, you'll both be just fine, just as we were. Please, just give her a chance..."

Nozomi looked away again, making a small, almost inaudible choking sound as she put her hand to her mouth briefly.

"Oh...are you sure you're okay, Nozomi? You seem very emotionally invested in this."

"I...I just need a moment."

Nozomi swallowed again and inhaled.

"I'm good now. Thank you, Maki. I suppose I'm just tired."

"Don't worry, we all are."

Nozomi giggled, worry disappearing from her face. "Maybe we just need some fresh air."

"Well, we _are_ going to...where was it...Gourmet Burger Kitchen later? I'm sure we're all hungry as well."

"Give Umi a chance. That's all I'm asking. You don't have to forgive her for that outburst right away, and I don't know when she'll have the courage to talk to you again, but just take things one step at a time."

Maki nodded decisively.

"Do you want to stay in here for a while?" Nozomi asked.

"That", Maki sighed, "would be the better option for me right now."

µ's dressing room

Umi sighed as Eli removed her headband and handed Umi a bottle of water, from which she drank heartily. Quiet chatter from Nico, Hanayo, Kotori and very occasionally Rin drifted over from across the room, but otherwise, neither of them said a word as Eli brushed Umi's hair delicately, occasionally stopping to ruffle a knot out of her hair, or to move a stray strand back to where it should be.

Umi capped the bottle and set it back down on the counter. "Sometimes Honoka frustrates me, but I know she means well."

"That's what friends do", Eli said, brushing Umi's hair, "they push each other to be the best that they can be. I know that no matter what, it's what you both do. That's why you're still friends."

"Maybe so, but...I'm still worried about Maki."

Eli set down the brush and picked up a paper fan, fanning Umi gently as she continued to pace circles around Umi; "Until you decide to set things straight with Maki, it's out of your hands. Just don't leave it too long, okay?"

"Okay."

"Is that better?" Eli asked, focusing a cool breeze on Umi's cheek. Umi moved a stray hair out of her hair, then moved her hair out of the way delicately to ensure maximum coverage. Eli giggled, and moved the fan closer.

"Ah, so that's a yes."

"Eli!" Nico asserted from the circle of five across the room. "We're ready to go anytime, so when you're ready, I'll text Nozomi and tell her we're all ready."

Eli set down her paper fan and walked over to Nico, resting her aching body on the seat next to her on the corner sofa; Nico turned her body to face Eli.

"Actually, Nico, I want to talk to you about something."

"Oh?"

Eli moved in closer, lowering her voice to a hush: "Actually, everyone seems really tired right now, and I think we'll all just turn on each other if we try to go out to eat with all our suitcases. Do you think it would be a good idea to drop everything off at Maki's house first and maybe relax for a bit, then pack?"

In that same hushed tone, Nico replied, glancing between Rin and Hanayo: "That's a pretty good idea. It's up to Maki, though. I'll text her."

Eli pre-emptively stopped Nico's hand in place; "Are you sure that's a good idea, Nico?"

"Huh...maybe that's a better idea. Usually she says I can text her about anything, but...yeah, that seemed rough. Hang on. I'll text Nozomi"

The next twenty seconds stretched towards infinity as Eli and Nico watched the screen on Nico's phone, tense. Eli knew her wife well, but Maki, not as well, nor did she know much about their experience with other couples. She understood Umi more; the distance, the pressure, her former tendency to hurt those around her.

"She'll be fine, Eli, really. Don't worry. Maki might be a different woman, but we still know each other well. I know Nozomi well enough to know she's fi-oh, a text from Maki!"

"Huh, I didn't think she'd be the one to text back..."

Nico didn't say anything more, but made a distracted "hmm" sound in response to Maki's text.

"I'm glad she agrees though." Eli said. "We'd only be asking for trouble, going out together in this state."

"Can I ask you all something?" Rin asked from beyond Nico, weakness in her eyes.

"Hm?" Eli asked.

"Please just take us somewhere I won't be seen by anyone."  
Eli and Hanayo exchanged glances.

"Sure thing." Eli said.

The shuttle journey back to Maki's house was a quiet affair; In the front row was Honoka, Eli and Kotori. In the middle, Nico, Nozomi and Umi. In the back, Maki, Rin and Hanayo. Nobody had so much as mentioned it, but it was clear to all that the seating order was strategically chosen by several of them to ensure they wouldn't be seated next to others - Umi and Honoka proved particularly unpopular in this order.

Those with window seats chose to watch the urban scenes of Akihabara go by wordlessly, some of them for the last time in a long time, while the three in the middle gazed uncomfortably at their phones, opting to lose themselves in their own thoughts, hoping desperately for the journey to end. Every so often, a whispered exchange could be heard, mostly from Rin and Hanayo and Nozomi and Nico, but the default tone in the vehicle was immutable: wordless, secondary to the sound of the wind and the other vehicles on the road rushing by through the open windows. The sweltering summer heat was uncomfortable now as everyone stayed still in their seats, desperately trying not to make any noise despite their discomfort; those on the side of the sharp sunlight pouring through the windows simply squinted their eyes and moved their heads in a futile attempt to find something to block the sun. Eli and Nozomi exchanged pained glances via the mirror at the front of the shuttle every so often - though neither of them did anything with it, knowing they couldn't mend the problems of nine people like they used to be able to do.

Lost for words, Nozomi sent Eli a message containing an image of blue hydrangeas, and another consisting of red spider lilies.

Eli's response was several images: Lilies of the valley. Chamomile.

Iris flowers.

* * *

 **We Are A Single Light**

Late Sunday afternoon.

The Nishikino home, too, was mostly quiet. The kitchen was empty, and the television in the living room was turned off, the sun the only source of light; the far sofa opposite the television was occupied by one distracted Eli Ayase, gazing out the window with her legs under her, head resting on her hand, elbow resting on the sofa's arm. The faint chirping of cicadas kept her grounded in her late summer daydream, wondering about what went wrong, and what should not have gone wrong. Maybe if she'd turned down Honoka, none of this would have happened - whether this was a good thing or not was another topic of debate between herself entirely.

She felt something rest on her leg, before she realised what it was as she felt Nozomi's body rest on hers, her head resting against Eli's, her arms around Eli's waist.

"Hey there, fox. You seem distracted...we've had a lot of that this week."

Eli laughed gently, and moved her eyes over to Nozomi. "Maybe I'm just tired. That live didn't really go the way I wanted it to go, and everyone else seems to be in a really bad mood. I almost feel bad that I'm not feeling irritable."

"Really?" Nozomi replied. "Everyone could use your guidance right now."

"Oh? And what about yours?"

"Aww," Nozomi said, moving her face closer to Eli's and relaxing her body, "I guess even 11 years on, we're still mothers to this dysfunctional group."

"Being a mother is fine with me, after all," Eli replied, turning her head to face Nozomi, "And I wouldn't want this trip to end on such a bad note."

Nozomi turned her own smiling face to Eli's and put her hand on Eli's shoulder, keeping the other around Eli's waist, the ends of their noses touching.

"I love them almost as much as I love you, Elicchi." Nozomi purred. "Even if I'm not HR, handling squabbles is part of what I do, after all..."

Maki's room

Umi opened the door without a sound; no click, no squeak on the hinges, nothing. Maki kept her bedroom in good order, especially for someone who didn't live there anymore.

She saw Maki at the far end of the room, gazing out the window, examining her left hand, turning it in the light slowly.

"Maki."

Maki raised her hand slightly upon being pulled out of her train of thought, flinching slightly and Umi saw it, if only for a moment before Maki let her arm hang down by her side - several small scars on her fingers, where Umi's nails had broken the skin earlier. Maki made little effort in her movements, only turning her head to face Umi while her body turned only a few degrees. Her eyes were outlined in red, and they almost sparkled, though her face was blank as before, the corners of her mouth unmoving.

Still, she said nothing, looking at Umi with those blank, unfocused eyes of hers.

Umi bowed as deeply as she could, and stayed in this position for several empty seconds.

"Maki, please know I'm sorry."

"Umi...we have to talk." Maki's voice was slow, almost a murmur, but those words held power.

Those four words.

Those four dreaded words.

"I never meant to hurt you, Maki. I didn't know it was you, but even then, I have no excuse. I shouldn't have lashed out like that at anyone."

"It's not just that, Umi."

"I promise I can make it up to you. Please! The last thing I want to do is hurt you." Umi started to tremble; it was all coming apart for the second time today.

"Umi, I..."

"I can make it up. Do you remember Minato Mirai? The Honey Toast Bakery? The evening in Kyoto?"

Maki's eyes showed offence. "Are you even listening to m-"

Cutting her own sentence short, Maki's eyes lost expression, and returned to the previous blank, thousand mile stare. She looked away again, out the window, before returning her eyes to Umi.

"I'm not about to break up with you, Umi." She said, sauntering over to her bed and picking up a pair of jeans, folding them slowly with the same blank, expressionless thousand-mile stare Umi had first seen her with when she opened the door. "But whether you meant to do it or not, you hurt me..."

"I know." Umi replied, resigned. She knew what she'd done, and yet struggled to find a solution, and so declined to reply.  
Maki sighed and set down the pair of folded jeans. "I just...need more space. I don't know how much space. I just want to be left alone right now. I'm sorry, Umi. Please leave me in peace."

Umi relaxed her trembling muscles as best she could, and slowly turned around, closing the door behind her, praying to the gods that she wasn't about to lose everything. "I'm sorry."

The closing door revealed Nozomi to Maki yet again, leaning carefree against the wall, her arms folded.

"She said a lot of the same things I did. You're being a little hard on her, Maki. She never meant to do it, after all."

"I know...", Maki sighed again, "I just need more time to feel a little better."

On the other side of the wall, Umi listlessly ambled through the bedroom corridor, dazed, confused, somehow...cold.

"Hello, Umi. Are you...okay?"

Umi turned her head to see the voice's owner: Hanayo.

"...Umi?"

"I'm fine, Hanayo."  
"You don't seem fine..."

"Not now, please, Hanayo. I'm sorry. Please stand aside."

"You aren't okay at all, are you? Have you been honest with your feelings? I don't think you've talked to Honoka yet..."

"Hanayo, please, move aside!"

"No. I can't do that."

Did Umi hear that right?

Did Hanayo just deny her, to her face? Without stuttering, hesitation or hedging, with a gentle smile still on her face?

No.

That was something only the old Hanayo was incapable of.

In that moment, Umi felt everything stop, and clarity came back to her once again; she'd raised her voice to Hanayo.

She was taking out her frustration on other people again.

Hanayo tilted her head in confusion. "Umi?"

"I have to make this right."

Hanayo smiled, Umi's realisation clear for all to see. "There we go. It isn't too hard, is it?" She said, ruffling Umi's hair gently. "She's in Rin's room right now. Your father's going to be fine too, okay?"

"...Thank you, Hanayo."

Umi started her amble towards Rin's room, leaving Hanayo alone again.

Rin's guest room

At rest in the sunlight's rays streaming through the windows, Honoka and Rin sat across from one another on Rin's bed; Rin at the edge of her bed with her head turned to face Honoka, while Honoka sat with one arm supporting her weight, her knees bent, her other, free hand used for gesturing.

Rin adjusted her sitting position now and again as she spoke to reduce the strain the conversation put on her neck; "Well, I loved Mulan. When I was younger, I had a lot of trouble with my identity, and that movie really helped me feel better about myself...it really helped me through a lot when I rewatched it as a teenager."

"Oh, ehehe...I feel bad for saying that I only liked The Little Mermaid so much because I thought Ariel and the crab were cute. Personally, I loved Treasure Planet more than any of them."

Rin gasped. "You've seen Treasure Planet? How did you find it?!"

"Well," Honoka giggled, covering her mouth with her free hand, "I used to be really good at finding hard-to-find things online. Sometimes...Umi...helped me, but...even if Nico and Hanayo were better than me at that stuff, it was great fun at least!"

"When you can find anything you want in Akihabara anyway, you don't spend as much time online." Rin replied. "But I don't really follow things like the idol scene anymore, so I don't need to search for things online like that."

"Ah, no, no, I suppose not...well, you can find anything in Akiba!"

Rin held up a small figurine peeking out of a bag lying on her bed as an example. "Like this figurine! I don't remember who this is, but I thought it was cute."

Honoka leaned forward, and examined the figurine; "Ohhh, that's Sailor Moon! I loved watching that in the morning before school when I was a child."

"Ohhh...I didn't watch much anime as a child..."

Rin's follow-up was interrupted as the door clicked and quietly eased open.

"I apologise for the intrusion."

It was Umi.

Rin's shoulders tensed up, and she set down her figure and lifted herself onto her feet. "I'll, umm...I'll go hang out with Nico."

Without a word, both Umi and Honoka let her go, leaving Umi facing Honoka in the doorway. Honoka didn't make any effort to intimidate Umi, instead choosing to stare her down with innocent eyes. Her face, too, was neutral. Umi considered telling Honoka about the texts, catching herself when she realised that in this context, telling Honoka that she'd read her phone would be out of line, and for five agonising seconds, they stared at each other from across the room.

"Come in." Honoka said, unwilling to reject somebody who'd been encountering nothing but loss and regret. Umi did not sit down, opting instead to awkwardly stand in front of Rin's bed as her gaze on Honoka faltered. Countless last-minute calculations were made between them as to who they believed should apologise first, with no verdict in sight; Honoka started to lose focus.

"Umi. I'm...sorry."

Honoka looked down awkwardly as she said it, still wondering if she'd caved in too easily. Another split second, and she decided to double down.

"I...was selfish. I'm sorry, Umi. I really didn't think about any of you. I-" Honoka was interrupted by Umi's finger on her lips.

"I accept your apology, Honoka."

"But I was so insensitive to your pain and so preoccupied with setting up my own vision of a perfect reunion that I-"

"No buts, Honoka."

"I didn't thi-"

" _Honoka_."

Umi stepped back bowed, her own eyes on level with Honoka for a moment.

"All I want is for no more arguments." Umi said, back straight, legs parallel. "This was my fault. For losing my cool in front of everyone, for hurting Maki, for hurting you, for making everyone uncomfortable. We've been friends for 25 years now, and we've had more fights than with anyone else combined. But we're still friends, aren't we?"

Umi lifted her finger from Honoka's lips after several seconds, determining that she would no longer attempt to bear responsibility for everything that had gone wrong. Umi beamed at Honoka and loosened her muscles, turning to leave. "Anyway...I think I'll let you be for now."

Honoka shifted herself forward on the bed, pushing herself off and standing back on her two feet again. "Umi, come here."

"Hm?"

"Umi."

Umi turned back around, and Honoka beckoned her over; Umi had been through this multiple times now, but didn't enjoy their makeup hug any less.

"I'm so glad it didn't end this way." Umi said, her head on Honoka's shoulder, the exhaustion in her eyes a content tiredness now.

Honoka disengaged and smiled back, her eyes reflecting that same triumph.

"Umm..." Honoka started, "This is actually Rin's room, so maybe we should-"

"Agh!"

A startled cry came from outside the door, coupled with something bumping against the walls on the other side of the room as Honoka and Umi turned their heads to the source of the noise.

"Rin, be careful! That's my bad leg!"

"Ah, I'm sorry, Nico! I didn't mean to do that! I just need to get the figure I wanted to show you."

A second later, Rin burst into the room, carrying Nico awkwardly through the doorway, stopping short of Honoka and Umi.

"Uhm...sorry...I just needed to get something." Rin stuttered; Nico averted her gaze.

"Rin, Nico...don't worry about it!" Honoka exclaimed. "We're okay now. Do you want to go to the living room?"

"Actually, we were just there." Nico said. "But Eli's asleep on the sofa, and we didn't want to wake her up."

"She seemed so tired, and it's so warm in there anyway, so it's probably easy to fall asleep..." Rin added.

"So we're going to the kitchen to get some of the berry Fanta Rin told me about instead." Nico continued. "And Rin's gonna take me there!" She said, looking up at Rin and pointing towards the doorway.

"We're going to the kitchen?" Rin asked, turning her head curiously.

"We're all going to the kitchen! Come on, Rin, Umi, Honoka, let's go!"

Kitchen

"Well, I was just saying, even if hikikomori culture is a problem, Japan isn't really doing much to help them, is it?" Nozomi mused, gesturing to Maki, Kotori and Hanayo, to which she did not receive a reply, but instead confused glances.

"Ah, sorry..." Nozomi said, gesturing in apology, "Sometimes I get carried away."

Maki gestured back in dismissal. "Don't worry about it, you can talk about anything with us."

"Thank you, princess." Nozomi replied, to which Maki slapped her hand in mock indignation; Hanayo giggled and adjusted herself, sitting a little further back on the kitchen chair to ensure her comfort.

"I'm sorry to change the subject, but is Eli okay?" Kotori asked from her seat in between Hanayo and Nozomi on the row of kitchen chairs by the counter as her, Maki and Hanayo looked to Nozomi for an answer, one part worry, one part curiosity.

"Don't worry about her, Kotori", Nozomi replied, warmth in her tone, "She gets tired very easily even if she doesn't show it a lot. She's always one step away from falling apart, so maybe it's for the best that she gets plenty of rest...I'm sure Sleeping Beauty will be glad to be home, though. It's been such an exhausting summer and I doubt this heat will let up any time soon. She's probably getting worried about her flowers, too."

"You've fallen asleep a lot this week, too...are _you_ okay, Nozomi?" Hanayo replied.

The collective gaze shifted from Hanayo straight back to Nozomi, their desire for an answer no more sated than it was before the start of this conversation. No answer was given as the collective gaze shifted once again, to the group standing at the doorway: Honoka, Umi, and Rin carrying Nico in her arms.

"Oh." Umi said. "Uhm, I-"

"Oh my _word"_ , a single voice said, cutting through the silence from Rin's arms and throwing her head back in exasperation, hanging her arm freely, "Will you two just make up and _kiss_ already?"

Umi and Maki's gazes shifted and diverted awkwardly towards the floor, and Umi remembered what she'd said; that she'd needed time. This was not enough time, and yet...it was all the time they had, and in that moment, Umi found herself in the same silence she'd been drawn into earlier, a nothingness she'd felt more of than anything else today. Honoka rested her hand gently on Umi's back, and Umi closed her eyes and inhaled.

"Maki...I can't tell you how sorry I am. Violent outbursts like that are...unacceptable, and no excuse can begin to make up for it."

She breathed in, preparing her next sentence.

"Umi..." Maki interrupted, looking her in the eyes, "I'm...only glad I've known you for so long. It's...how abusive relationships begin. Once the first violent outburst is forgiven, it only makes it easier for them to happen, and stay trapped. Sometimes, even people who seem sweet on the outside can be the worst type of person."

Umi was lost for words, her mouth running dry, her blood running cold at the idea of even being connected to the idea of an abusive relationship; was this the monster she'd become?

"I know, because...I've watched it happen myself." She said, her eyes darting between Umi and the floor, her arms almost limp, her eyes welling up again, sparkling in the afternoon sun; "They escaped it eventually, but the damage was done. I don't think I could have done anything myself, and other people definitely tried to help, but I haven't seen her since she quit her job to escape for good. It wasn't me that was trapped, but I felt so powerless. She begged us not to tell anyone else. I..."

"Maki, why didn't you tell me?" Nozomi interjected, her mouth open, her gaze soft, her composure finally broken.

"I...didn't think it was important."

Most of the eight gathered had fallen silent, keeping their mouths firmly shut for fear of speaking out of turn on a subject they had no experience with, but at the same time, feeling desperate helplessness, as if everything was falling apart in front of them for good, the bonds of 15 years...broken again.

"But...at the same time..." Maki's eyes gained a new strength, and she looked back up at Umi, smiling faintly as she folded her arms lightly and sniffled, a single, final teardrop falling from her eyes. "I've already met the real you, and she isn't violent. I remember the massive fallout you had with Honoka back in school, and even then, that worked out. I know that...your anger wasn't directed at me, either. I've met the real you, and Honoka likes the real you, too, we all do. I've met her, and I've danced with her, and I've fa...well...I think she's really cute."

Umi's bloodstream grew warm again, and she choked, her throat still dry as she swallowed to hold back her emotions bursting out like water from a broken dam. "I'm sorry for hurting you, Maki. And to all of you, I'm sorry for losing my cool in front of you. I promise that I'll never-"

Umi's long-winded apology was cut short as Maki marched forward and took Umi in her arms, and everything that need to be said between them had been said; the raised heartbeat shared between them, the soft touch of Maki's hands on the back of Umi's neck that said: "It's okay", as they wrapped around Umi, the feverish body heat transferred between them as Maki pressed her own against Umi's in this sudden embrace, the warmth of their breath on each other's skin as their lips locked again, like lantern's fire.

When all was said and done, Maki didn't let go, nor did she look away; she simply looked into Maki's eyes with a sparkle and her eyes and an undeniable smile on her face, her attention solely on Umi as they remained close enough still to feel each other's breath: "Just don't do it again. Not to me, not to Honoka, not anyone."

"I swear on the Sonoda family's honour."

"Wow...I'm so happy for the both of you." Hanayo said, her hands clutched to her heart.

"Wow..." Nico added, a knowing smirk on her face, "I'm happy I only had to tell you once to kiss."

Maki tilted her head to gain a line of sight on Nico, and stuck her tongue out.

"I'm glad for you two, I really am." Nozomi said. "Sorry to change the subject, but it's getting late. We should probably start getting ready to head out to go eat before going to the airport, hm?"

Maki sighed and looked back at Umi before looking back to Nozomi, smiling helplessly. "Maybe we should..."

"And plus, I was promised hiyashi chuka." Rin said, Nico nodding in agreement; her otherwise cheerful tone hid the fact that she knew this was her last chance at eating good food with good people for a while.

"Nozomi..." Kotori asked, her tone unsure, "What about Eli? Isn't she asleep?"

"Ah...Well, I'll do what I always do. Carry her to the shuttle myself."

"What about my luggage? And Rin's? And Nozomi's? And Eli's? I'd rather not find out right now if I can walk without pain or not..." Nico asked.

"I'll carry it!" Honoka exclaimed.

"You can't carry that much, Honoka. It's physically impossible." Umi reminded her, turning her head to face Honoka.

"I'll help!" Kotori chimed in, raising her hand.

Maki chuckled. "You do know Sana can help us too, you know? And that we don't have to do it in one go?"

"Ah..." Honoka replied. "I didn't think of that."

"We're all dressed, and most of us are packed. Maki, have you packed?"

"I didn't need to pack much, but yeah, I'm packed."

"Okay then. The rest of you finish up, I'll be in the shuttle with Eli." Nozomi said, waving her hand lazily.

The last day for the former members of µ's in Akihabara almost felt like a dream, like the aftermath of a subtle wish made upon the starry skies of the last week; the skies were light blue and cloudless in the midst of the August haze and just as August gives way for September, everyone knew that summer gives way for autumn, that their fame for now was only temporary, and for some, it was their last day in Tokyo for a long, long time. Having almost forgotten the feeling of fame after their show earlier in the day, Electric Town had been deemed off limits after Honoka and Umi were almost immediately recognised, and so the next best destination was a small ramen bar serving hiyashi chuka upon Rin's insistence in a side street elsewhere in Chiyoda; none remembered its name, though Honoka swore to return, much to Umi's indignation and following reluctant agreement.

"You know one thing about this that annoys me, Honoka?" Umi asked, holding her bowl to her face as she slurped her almost empty bowl of ramen and side-eyed Honoka.

"Oh?"

"I'm a celebrity again here, and now I either have to sign autographs all day or change my appearance again while I'm working."

"Oh wow! Does that mean we get to see you in that cute ponytail hairstyle again?" Kotori said, laying down her bowl and utensils entirely, touching her fingers to her mouth in glee. "Honoka, Maki, you have to promise to show me what she looks like in that style now! Put them up on the chat!"

"Yes...!" Honoka said, dropping her own utensils on the table entirely. "Maki, Maki, Maki, you have to do it, you have to!"

"Well...why can't you do it?"

"Please!" Was the reply, from both Kotori and Honoka, Honoka banging the table with her hands.

Umi sighed, and fixed her hair absentmindedly.

"I'm 29 years old. I think it's preferable to just stay inside instead of looking like someone trying to dress like a teenager or a delinquent."

"Delinquent? That's not an excuse, Umi." Nozomi countered. Umi quickly became flustered at both the attention and the reactions, her hands frozen in place; "Why does everyone want me to change my hairstyle?"

"You have to do it, Umi." Nico replied. "For the group chat."

Umi stared down into her bowl. "I'm definitely staying inside all day."

"Ehehe...wow, that must be awful. It was fun when we got back from New York, but it was a little much for a girl like me..."

"Honoka..." Nico interjected.

"Wait, Nico", Nozomi said, holding a hand up in Nico's direction, "Let's see how long it takes her to realise it."

Nobody talked for several seconds.

"Why is everybody looking at me?"

"Um, Honoka..."

"Don't ruin it, Hanayo!" Nozomi interrupted.

"Ruin what?"

There was sniggering coming from several places in the table now, and eating was paused yet again, unable to continue in lieu of the laughter.

Honoka threw her arms down, threw her head back in exasperation, laid back in her chair and yelled in anguish, prompting a wave of laughter across the table, especially from Nozomi, Nico and Maki.

" **Fine...** I guess I'll change my hairstyle too..."

"You have to make it the Harajuku style, Honoka. You _have_ to." Nico said, leaning in.

"That's the style she had a month after the New York trip, right?" Eli asked in between mouthfuls of ramen, eating slowly and carefully as her delicate hands operated with perfect yet slowed precision.

"Yep!"

"Aww...I don't know if you're joking, but I loved that style on Honoka." Hanayo interjected, pushing her empty bowl forward to allow her to lean in further. "I'd love to see it on her now as well.".

"I don't know, though..." Honoka said, uncertainty entering her voice. "I don't think I could make that look work at my age. I might just get it cut or something..."

"Hanayo, you do know you and Rin will have to disguise yourselves as well?" Maki said with a sympathetic smile.

"Well, Rin and I live together anyway, so planning around that won't be too hard. I just have to make sure Rin's safe. Honestly, I think Kotori's the only one who won't have to disguise herself."

"I'm gonna miss you, Kotori." Rin added. "Paris is so far away...please tell me you'll come back again."

"Ehe...well, maybe I will. My first home was here, and plus, my family is still here in Japan. I'll always have plenty of reasons to come back, especially all of you. I love all of you, and I'd always love to come back any time."

"We'll never be too far away, no matter where you are in Japan!" Rin exclaimed, drawing in Hanayo's nearly empty second bowl, only to be slapped away; "I'm not done, Rin."

"How are you finding the hiyashi chuka, anyway, Rin?" Eli asked, steadily slurping away still at the last of her ramen.

"This place is small, but I'm coming back here if I ever go to Akihabara! It's so hot outside too, so I feel like there's not enough in my bowl, but...I feel like the only way to cool down properly is to pour a bottle of cold water on myself right now."

"I can help you with that." Nozomi chimed in, taking a bottle of water out from her purse and handing it to Rin, though Hanayo intercepted it before Rin could reach out; "I'm sorry, Nozomi, but I think she might actually do it if you give it to her."

"Kayochin...! How could you stop me from staying hydrated?"

"Everything in moderation, Rin."

"...Huh."

All attention on the table turned to Nico, who was staring at her phone distractedly, thumbing the screen.

"Something up, Nico?" Maki asked.

"I'm getting a lot of job offers..."

"Oh...congratulations, Nico!" Eli commented.

Honoka beamed at Eli, and giggled. "Huh, maybe this wasn't a total mistake after all."

"What you mean by that?"

"Ah...honestly, I don't think this live should have happened at all. I'm still not sure what happened myself, but...it's a fun experience either way."

"Oh? You regret it?"

"Honestly...? I don't regret anything. As long as you learn from something, whether it's good or bad, then nothing is a waste of time!"

"Faito dayo!" Eli replied, gesturing with her fist in solidarity.

"I agree...we just didn't have enough time. Don't let her fool you, though." Umi added. "She still learns everything the hard way, and takes me along for the ride too."

"No?" Maki said, stroking Umi's hair gently, kissing it once for good measure, "If it weren't for all this, I wouldn't have gotten together with you, or reunited with anyone else."

"It's the dream we realised together." Nozomi chuckled. "It's just the way fate goes, and if Honoka had to create her own destiny, so be it."

"It's almost like our last song goes... _Ah! It began with a subtle premonition..."_

"Ah, don't, Honoka!" Eli said, carefree hints of a laugh in her voice, "I don't want to cry any more than I already have today. What is the time, anyway? I'm still cleaning my hands so I can't really take out my phone right now."

"Oh, my." Umi exclaimed. "I think we should probably get going, since Kotori's flight is in less than three hours now. Is everyone done?"

"Rin, are you done?" Hanayo asked.

"There's no more ramen, so I'm done!"

"Kotori, why exactly did you pick such a late flight?" Nico asked. "That's a long day for you."

Kotori simply smiled confidently, without an instant of hesitation. "It's so I could spend as much time with everyone as possible, and also so I could go straight to bed when I got home. Umi and Honoka helped me with my flight, too."

"Ah, you mean Umi." Honoka replied. "I didn't really do much."

"Thank you, Honoka." Umi said. "And thank you too, Kotori."

Nozomi raised her hand, and the restaurant owner stepped over. "Could I have the bill, please? Thank you." Nozomi said, leaning in slightly to be heard over the din of the other eight.

As they came closer still to the airport, anxiety rose among the nine; the same anxiety that Honoka had felt upon seeing Maki on the news, the same anxiety Nico had felt before Eli had taken her to the Asakusa Toro Nagashi, the same anxiety Hanayo had been hiding from everyone, that after the end, it would all end again. In the front row of the shuttle was Eli, Nozomi and Rin, in the middle row was Umi, Maki and Nico, and in the back was Hanayo, Kotori and Honoka. Roads turned to highways, arcades and hobby stores turned to office buildings that formed a valley over the highways, and so too did the attention of the nine turn to each other, the rush of warm air and traffic becoming background noise as the end drew closer...

"I'm kinda sad I never got to do that card-reading for you, Hanayo." Nozomi said, her body twisting again to face Hanayo at the back of the shuttle.

"I suppose..." Hanayo murmured.

"There's a lot of things to regret on this trip, but many to celebrate, too. I really enjoyed going to the Asakusa Toro Nagashi with Nico." Eli interjected, her head turned to include everyone in her peripheral vision.

"That might be a celebration for you, but that's a regret for me because I missed it..." Honoka replied. "I can go any year, but it's better with all of you. At least I can still go with Umi."

"I wish I'd gone now..." Kotori added, adjusting her position. "I don't know when I'm coming back here. My life isn't as exciting as yours."

"You're definitely coming back here!" Came Honoka's reply.

Kotori murmured, spending several seconds formulating a reply.

"I'm not sure if I'll have the money for something like this for a while. I'll have to save up."

"Then we'll help you!"

"We?" Umi replied.

"Fine! I'll help Kotori myself!"

"Oh, no, I'll help too, of course." Umi said, gesturing with her hand to her heart. "I didn't mean it in that way."

"Honoka...did you ever make up with Yukiho?" Nico interjected. A few heads turned to glance over at Honoka and Nico, hoping she hadn't struck a pressure point.

"Yep!" Honoka replied, carefree. "She said she was going to make it up to me the next time she visited our bakery, which is soon. Speaking of which...Eli, how is Alisa doing?"

"Alisa?" Eli said. "Oh, haven't I mentioned her before?"

A resounding "no" was the reply.

"Ah, well...she moved back to Russia. We don't really talk much anymore, but she did come to the wedding. I don't know much about what she's doing, but all I know is that she's doing well. I talk to my grandmother from time to time, but I should really get Alisa in the calls..."

"Rin, did I ask you where Miho went after you graduated?" Umi said, checking Rin's attention via the mirror in the front.

"I think you did! I haven't seen her since graduation from Otonokizaka though...It's kind of a shame. Even if she was a little weird, she was really funny."

"She got on really well with the alpacas too." Kotori replied. "She was a great help to me...ah, now I miss the alpacas...I know they're probably not there anymore..."

Nozomi joined in, despite only having one year's worth of experience to reminisce: "I wonder if Otonokizaka still has alpacas?"

"Well, the year after you graduated, there were also some rabbits in the school." Hanayo said softly, hoping she wasn't about to disappoint Nozomi with what she'd missed. "It was only for a year though, since the rabbits escaped a lot."

"I have to wonder what happened to the school idol club myself." Nico said, her expression unchanging. "I hope whoever's managing it now is doing a good job with it."

"The last I saw, it was in Yukiho and Alisa's hands." Honoka replied. "They did just fine with it, though they ended up never forming the idol group they said they were going to..."

"Honoka, I'm curious, though. A-RISE are still performing in Akihabara, and you're still living there. Have you ever met any of them?"

"Well..."

Honoka paused, unsure of which details to leave out, which details to include of her encounter with Tsubasa two months ago; she hadn't seen her since, and she continued her pause to reconstruct the gaps in her memory. Honoka was fairly sure she'd been at least tipsy during that encounter, if not drunk, and wondered what was truth, and what was her own interpretation.

She could have sworn there was something about Tsubasa, maybe even the old connection between them that was never broken, not in any of their sporadic meetings since 2011, but...however she felt, maybe it just wasn't meant to be, whatever it was that Tsubasa seemed to be so aware of that night.

Honoka's tone became serious as she stared into space, trying her best to find the details she'd forgotten: "I met her in June, the night I first met up with Nozomi and Eli. I was drunk, and I walked through the back streets of Akiba to get home. I was having some trouble, and...that's when she appeared. She led me home when I could barely do it myself...I don't know if I was imagining it because I was drunk, but...I remember her almost going in, um...to kiss me at my front door. I thought I saw her lean in a little before pulling away and hurrying away. I...don't know."

Silence filled the shuttle now; nobody expected this.

"It's maybe for the best that she didn't, Honoka." Eli replied. "If she did, that...could be taking advantage of someone who'd had a little too much to drink."

Honoka sighed. "I guess...I just wish she wasn't so mysterious. The last vivid memory I have of her is when she helped us for SUNNY DAY SONG. Now she's appearing once every few years..."

"I think that's when most of us last saw her." Maki said, attempting to dispel the new tension this story had brought. "Have you seen Erena or Anju?"

"I met Anju once a few years ago, I think." Honoka said, staring into space, still trying to remember. "I haven't seen Erena since the day of SUNNY DAY SONG, though..."

"I haven't seen anyone from Otonokizaka in this week, apart from all of you." Eli mused. "I'm not sure if we would recognise any of them at this point."

"We recognised you when we saw you at the station, so I'm glad for that, at least." Umi said, a hint of relief to her tone.

The shuttle stopped, and conversation ceased; the jetstream of warm air became sterile hot air, and for the last time, the nine of them were snapped out of their daydreams.

"We have arrived at the airport station." Sana said, his voice as neutral as ever.

Walking into the airport was the hardest part yet for most of them; the feeling of finality, that they may never come here again, and that with every step they took, they walked closer to home and to the end of this wonderful journey, further away from the people that had shaped their life, and the haze of summer, as if they were teenagers on another adventure. Watching Kotori print out her boarding passes was the first half, and the second was the overwhelming tension as they stood in a circle in the middle of the plaza, their suitcases held within this unbroken circle. Most of the nine had their hands held awkwardly together by their stomach, or hanging awkwardly by their side.

"This is it..." Hanayo murmured, almost dejected.

"I'm really going to miss you all..." Rin said, the same tone of murmur to her voice.

"I can't take it!" Rin yelled, running towards each and every member of the circle, hugging them tightly. None of them knew if she was ever going to let go.

"...Nico?" Kotori asked, tilting her head in concert. "Nico, are you okay? You were very quiet on the way here..."

"I'm fine! I just...don't want to say farewell."

"Nico, what did I tell you?" Eli asserted. "Between us, there are no farewells. Only see-you-laters. Got it?"  
Nico nodded, staring at the floor with a pained smile.

"It's painful, I know, but this week has been almost like a dream."

"I wish I'd taken more photos..." Honoka said. "I got photos with all of you, and I'll post them on the chat when I get home, but...I still feel like I don't have enough.

"Actually..." Honoka continued, "Can I get one more?"

The other eight looked at her curiously, even though they knew what she was talking about.

"Everyone...come here."  
Honoka beckoned the circle around and behind her, and she took out her phone.

"Closer together!" Honoka said. "My arm isn't that long and I need everyone in this photo."

"Wait." Umi said.

The eight looked at Nico, who still stood by her suitcase, passively looking on.

"Nico, what are you doing over there?" Maki asked.

"Get over here! Why are you standing there? We need you in this photo!" Nozomi yelled, her voice infused with laughter.

"Come on!" Eli repeated, beckoning Nico over. Maki and Nozomi ushered her over as Nico slowly walked over and placed her at the centre of the group as she entered their range, next to Honoka.

"Okay, guys!" Honoka said, their heads grouped closely together. Umi smiled politely, Eli made a peace sign and stuck her tongue out ever so slightly, Nozomi stuck her tongue out and winked, Rin made a peace sign and stood on her tiptoes in an attempt to gain height, and Hanayo did the same on the other side of Eli's shoulder, laughing as she did so, Maki grinned, Kotori mimicked Umi's polite smile with charm, a spark in her eyes, Honoka grinned wildly with an open mouth and Nico laughed hopelessly as Honoka put her arm around Nico's shoulder, drawing her cheek closer to Honoka's own laughing face.

"Say...faito dayo!" Honoka shouted, extending her arm and pressing the button on her phone's screen. "1, 2, and...photo taken! I'll send it to you guys soon!"

Laughter came from the group and carried throughout the chambers of Haneda Airport as they moved back round the circle to stand by their suitcases. A silence followed as the laughter dispelled, and so too, did their voices.

They knew they couldn't wait forever.

Nozomi turned to Nico, and beckoned her in with both arms.

"No, no, you're not doing this to me again, no..."

"This isn't for you", Nozomi said as she gently enveloped Nico with her arms, her eyes sparkling with joy, "it's for me."

"Promise me we'll meet again, Nico." Nozomi added, her head resting softly on Nico's shoulder.

"I promise."

Nozomi let go, and her eyes met Nico's. "I'm holding you to that. I have the money to make it happen whenever you want."

"And you call me a princess." Maki commented.

"Hey, Hanayo." Eli said, her hands absently grasping her suitcase handle, "When are you up for Sapporo?"

"Well..."

"Trick question! We have the money to make it happen whenever we want."

"In that case..."

"Sapporo Snow Festival!" Rin yelled. "Sapporo Snow Festival! Sapporo Snow Festival!"

"Well...ehe, maybe that's..."

"Sapporo Snow Festival!" Hanayo yelled, joining in with Rin, even if more subdued and reluctant to make a scene, "Sapporo Snow Festival!"

"What's this about the Snow Festival?" Honoka said. "I wanna go!"

"Well, count me in." Maki commented.

The conversation was interrupted by the tiny sound of Kotori clearing her throat, rubbing her eyes and inhaling: "I'm sorry, but...my flight starts boarding soon, and I want to be there..."

"It's not farewell, is it?" Honoka replied. "Call me, won't you?"

"I will!"

"Your flight's soon, too, Maki..." Umi said, crestfallen, adjusting her jacket.

"Are you kidding me? I've already started thinking about plans to see you again...I was thinking a high-class Italian restaurant. Come here, Umi."

It wasn't a goodbye kiss; only a see-you-later kiss. Maki held Umi's hands in hers, but she didn't squeeze them tightly as if she was saying goodbye; it was a simple embrace that promised more.

"Thank you for everything, Maki." Eli said, bowing. "I had a wonderful week. I don't know what lies in our future, but I'll be sure to enjoy it."

A chorus of thanks followed on from Eli.

"Oh my...no, it was nothing. It was all Honoka." Maki said, making a humbled gesture. "I have to ask, Honoka...you seem mixed on the subject on this week, especially the live...I can invite you back any time, you know. How about it, Honoka? Would you like to turn back time and do the concert again?"

A brief moment of thought, a heartbeat.

Honoka smiled knowingly and glanced down at her phone, at the photo she'd taken with all nine of them; she'd had fun, she'd laid her dreams to rest, and here she stood in the culmination of a week's worth of reconciliation, the aftermath of a week's worth of lost feelings. But would she go back and do it again? Make sure they didn't lose contact, cancel the live, kiss or reject Tsubasa, explain herself better to Yukiho and her mother, be there for Nico a little more?

"No, no...no..." She said, her expression warm as she lifted her head and faced Maki, a silent promise to move on, "This moment is the greatest!"


End file.
